Blended Family: Darkness and Light
by Kikide
Summary: Leo and his family face their greatest challenge.  Will Leo be able to defeat the darkness once and for all, or will his light be extinguished for good?
1. Threat on the Horizon

Three weeks had passed since Donny's discovery that the pictures Raphael had taken off of Peter Babbot had come from his original dimension, taken during the final battle with that reality's Shredder. For Raph, Raphael, the Genius twins, and the Brats, those had been three tension filled weeks, particularly in light of Leo's revelation that who, or rather, whatever had produced those photos was some sort of evil non-human entity that had every intention of destroying him. That particular disclosure did not set well with his brothers. Leo, on the other hand, was completely composed about the whole affair.

"I don't get it, bro," Raph told him one day after practice. "Why doesn't the thought that this thing is out to get you bother you more than it does? I mean, you haven't even given it a second thought since you dropped that little bomb on us a few weeks ago."

Leo just shrugged. "After the past two years I've had, it's hard to get worked up over this. Besides, without any clue who or what this thing is, we can't begin to guess how or when it will strike, or even what exactly it wants."

"Oh, we know what it wants, bro," Raphael cut in. "It wants you; bleeding and broken from what I can tell."

"But we don't know _why_ it wants me," Leo pointed out. "Without some hint of its motivation it will be a little hard to prepare. Until then, we'll just have to be extra vigilant and watch our backs."

"How about you keep your eyes straight ahead where they'll do us the most good. Raph and I will watch your back," Raphael said.

"Deal," Leo said with a good natured laugh. "But I don't think we have a whole lot to worry about. Whatever this thing is, I bet he has to have a human agent to work through; hence the Crazy Babbots. Seriously, if it had wanted to kill me itself, it could have done so without turning me over to those two nuts. Until he has a new ally, he won't be much trouble.

TMNTTMTN

**Across Town: Foot Tower**

Oroku Saki looked across his table at his new business "associate."

"Explain this to me again," he said. "Just what is it you need my help with?"

The large shadowy figure gave the warlord a look brimming with impatience; Saki didn't care. Until he fully understood just what this creature wanted, he wasn't going to apply the resources of his Foot ninjas to this plan.

"As I have explained, I am not from your reality," the hulking figure hissed. "My presence here is dependent on the peacekeepers of my kind not realizing I am here at this time, which means I am unable to directly interact with my quarry."

"And what does this have to do with those wretched reptiles," Saki inquired.

"Not with all of them; just the oldest. Leonardo is on the cusp of going through a very special transformation; a change that can only be brought about by facing and overcoming the deepest pains and challenges. This is his purging process; his trial by fire. Once the process is complete, and the metamorphosis has taken place, he will become a depository of great power. I will then consume his heart, and make his power my own."

"So what does this have to do with getting rid of his pesky brothers," Saki asked.

"They will be the means of completing the process," the dark figure said. "Leonardo has faced the trial of the heart as he overcame some 'family difficulties.' His recent encounter with the brothers Babbot, and his subsequent recovery, concluded his trial of the mind. All that is left is the final component: the trial of the body. This is the most difficult test to arrange, because the individual must willingly choose to accept a great deal of physical pain."

"And you plan to accomplish this how," Saki wanted to know.

"Through his brothers, of course," the shadow-man snapped. "Surely you have noticed how protective Leonardo is of his brothers. Your part in this is simple. Capture the turtles and threaten to torture each of Leonardo's brothers, but give him the chance to take the punishment himself in their place. Once he is completely broken physically, if he has passed the test, he will undergo a transformation. Once the change is complete, I will cut his heart from his chest and consume it, transferring his power to myself."

"I still don't see what is in this for me," Saki said.

"Once Leonardo is dead, his original three brothers will be yours to dispose off as you wish. The other three will go with me. On top of the power I will get from devouring their brother's heart, the fear, and pain, and heartbreak they will feel at his loss, and their inability to save him, will keep me sated for a long while."

Saki narrowed his eyes as he looked at the figure across from him.

"Before I commit to anything, tell me this: who are you," he said.

An image suddenly appeared in Saki's mind of a large, glowing black figure with red eyes. It was neither conspicuously male nor female; being instead a large, shapeless glob, but the sense of it was distinctly male. "I am called Lord Darktide," the figure said. "I am the consumer of pain, the bringer of discord, and the lord of nightmares. I live off the pain, hurt, anger, and other dark emotions the residents of the physical realms exude and produce."

"And your interest in Leonardo?"

"Our young turtle is a nascent receptacle of the Light; a being who has faced the darkest sides of life and triumphed over them. Once his transformation is complete, his strength will be enormous. By eating his heart, not only will I take his power as my own, I will also create a vacuum in the light that will be filled by the darker, shadow emotions that fill any space where the Light is absent, thus providing me further nourishment and strength."

Saki folded his arm over his chest. "I must consider your request," he said. "Return in two days. I will have your answer then."

TTTT

Once Lord Darktide was gone, Saki summoned Hun into the room.

"What shall we do, master," he asked, kneeling humbly before Saki.

"I believe we shall provide this creature with the assistance he has requested," Saki told his underling. "Too long and too often have we faced defeat at the hands of those annoying reptiles. This way, we not only do we rid ourselves of them once and for all, but we will get revenge for all the trouble they have caused us, all the times they interfered."

"Command me, master," Hun said.

"Have a holding cell constructed," Saki ordered. "I want Leonardo's brothers to be able to watch as their beloved older brother takes their punishments for them. Then I want you to personally go to the lab down town and bring back the Serum 431 poison. I believe it's time for a live trial."

"Yes, my master," Hun said obediently. Saki dismissed him with a wave of his hand, and the large man silently departed. Crossing to look out the window over the bright nighttime city skyline, Saki smiled. He was going to enjoy this; the turtles would cease to be a nuisance once and for all.


	2. Captured!

**A/N At last, here is chapter 2. The title should tell you what to expect. Have fun!**

* * *

"No way, Leo. We are not leaving you here alone." Raph was more than a little irritated with his oldest sibling. Leo just gave him a look of calm, though tried, patience.

"Listen, you and the others have been cooped up in the Lair for far too long looking after me," Leo told his brother. "You need to get out and get some fresh air. In the meantime, while I appreciate how well you all are watching my back, I need some alone time; the Lair is beginning to make me feel just slightly claustrophobic with all six of you, seven if you count Master Splinter, keeping such a close eye on me. Besides, I won't be alone; unless you're doubting sensei's ability to watch my back?"

Raph just scowled at his brother. Several weeks had passed without any sign or hint of threat. Then, two days before, Raph and Raphael had been asked by Casey if they felt up to joining him for a night out on the city, "Menace style." Since April had invited the Genius twins over for some techno-geek time, she had given her blessing to her husband and his two turtle companions to have some "guy-time" that same evening. As for the Brats, there was comic book convention in town they had been dying to attend. Initially, the brothers had all been excited to make their plans for the evening, but now that the night was here, Raph was hesitant to leave his brother alone in the Lair. Sure, Master Splinter would be there to watch after his son, but Raph didn't like the thought of not being there personally, just in case.

"Raph, go on," Leo urged again. "Raphael and Casey have been looking forward to this for the past two days; they won't understand if you back out now. Besides, we've got a built in security system," he added, referring to their empathic bond. "If either of us gets into trouble, the other will know and be able to come riding to the rescue."

Raph still wasn't convinced, but he could tell his brother wasn't going to budge on his stance. "Fine, I'm going," he told his brother grudgingly. "But you be careful. And if you have to leave the Lair for any reason, make sure you let one of us know."

"Yes, mother," Leo teased. "Now go knock some heads together and work off some of that tension. Jeesh, you're getting as moody as Raphael." With that the older turtle turned and headed back to his room, leaving his younger brother spluttering in indignation behind him.

TMNTTMNT

To Raph's surprise, the evening turned out to be exactly what he needed. He hadn't realized just how tense he had become over the past several weeks until he felt its grip on him loosen up. Still, that didn't keep him from worrying about Leo.

"Chill out dude," Casey told him. They were sitting on the roof of an empty apartment building, scoping out the neighborhood. "Leo is, from what I hear, in better form than ever. Besides, he's got Master Splinter to guard his back, and it's not like he's going to go wandering alone through Central Park."

"I know," Raph agreed. "But something still doesn't feel quite right. Trouble is brewing, and it's going to boil over soon."

"And we'll be ready for it, bro," Raphael told his twin. "But we can't keep coddling and protecting Leo forever. That would destroy him every bit as much as this new threat."

"Speaking of new threats," Casey said. "I think I see one coming this way."

Sure enough, the trio watched as a pair of punks began to tail a woman, obviously on her way home from a late night job. Exchanging looks of anticipation, the three set off to make sure that, once again, their city was kept safe.

TMNTTMNT

It was going on 2 in the morning when the small group of crime-fighters decided to call it a night. After dropping Casey off at home, to make sure he made it safely, the two turtles started home themselves. They had only gone a block or two, when they were suddenly ambushed by a large group of Foot ninjas. Reacting instinctively, the brothers pulled their weapons and went on the attack. Working together as a unit, completely in sync with each other, the two sai-wielding turtles quickly cut a swath through the black-clad enemy. It was practically impossible for the oncoming attackers to find an opening the way the pair watched each other's backs. They had almost made it to safety, when Hun showed up, blocking their escape route.

"Surrender freaks," he commanded the brothers.

"Don't think so, you talking bolder with legs," Raphael replied. Any further quips were cut off, however, as the large man pulled an unconscious Donatello into view.

"Surrender or I will snap his neck and pin his body up for the world to find," Hun told them. The turtles hesitated only a moment before finally dropping their weapons.

"All right, brainless," Raphael said. "We're weaponless; now give Donatello over."

"Very well," Hun said, and he tossed the unconscious Donatello at his brothers. Fortunately they were able to position themselves so that they cushioned his fall, although all three did end up hitting the ground. "Now, pick your brother up and follow me," Hun ordered. "And if you try any funny business, I have to warn I have three more of your brothers waiting who will pay the price."

The threat was enough to keep Raph and Raphael quiet. Raphael cradled his younger brother in his arms as they followed Hun out of the alley to a truck parked not far from the entrance. Hun opened the back of the truck, motioning for the turtles to enter. Raphael hesitated only a second, but the potential threat to his younger brothers was enough to get him moving again. Climbing the ramp into the rear of the van, Raphael saw that, indeed, his three youngest brothers had likewise been captured. Donny appeared to be unmarked, but the Brats both sported black eyes, as well as a number of other bruises.

"Donatello," Donny exclaimed as Raphael settled the unconscious turtle against him as he took seat on the floor. "As much as is disheartens to me see that you two have also been captured, I'm so glad Donatello's with you."

"What happened, Donny," Raph asked his brother. Donny sighed.

"I'm almost embarrassed to say it," he said. "You see, it happened something like this…"

TTTT

**Flashback:**

_Donny and Donatello had very much enjoyed their visit with April. At seven months into her pregnancy, it was all but impossible for the mother-to-be to make it down into the sewers much these days. However, with the birth of her and Casey's daughter (the last ultrasound had revealed that little nugget of information) imminent, April had decided that their home security system needed some upgrading. Besides, Casey was about to go stir-crazy, but he refused to leave her home alone. To that end, April had suggested that the Genius Twins make a visit to their home, while Casey had a night out on the town with Raph and Raphael. Unsurprisingly, Casey had jumped at the idea._

_The night with her two turtle-tech friends had been very refreshing for April. As much as she loved her husband, there was no replacing the intellectual challenge Donny and Donatello were able to present. And with Donny now at ease with her, following his break down after bringing Leo home from captivity, the three very much enjoyed their techno tête-a-têtes. After a good deal of teasing and joking around, the trio had been able to come up with some ideas about how to upgrade April's home security that were both practical and useful, but that didn't require a whole lot of specialized equipment or extensive installation. After all, Donatello and Donny would only be able to work after dark, and April herself was in no condition to be doing a lot of bending and drilling to get the job done._

_Finally, about midnight, April had been unable to keep her eyes open any longer. After wishing her a good night, the twins departed out the back door, heading for the nearest manhole. They had barely taken a single step out of the building when Donatello was hit by dart, almost immediately taking him down. The Foot had emerged then, swarming over the two turtles. The last Donny had seen of his brother was as he disappeared beneath a pile of Foot ninjas. Donny himself had been disarmed and tossed into the back of the truck, where'd sat until he was joined by the Brats._

TTTT

"So they didn't try to hurt you," Raph asked his brother.

"Nope, not really. I mean, other than being a little rough when they took my weapon, they haven't laid a hand on me," Donny replied. "It's just a little embarrassing just how easily we went down."

"So how did you two end up looking like the losing end of a fight," Raphael asked the Brats.

Michelangelo grimaced while Mikey smirked. "I think it had something to do with my brainless twin here kicking Hun in a rather sensitive portion of his anatomy, if you follow my meaning," Mikey said. The older turtles all winced, but gave their brother an approving look.

"Yeah, Hun didn't take too kindly to that," Michelangelo admitted. "But he shouldn't have touched my comic book. The dude was asking for it."

TTTT

**Flashback:**

_The Brats had been looking forward to this night for months. They'd heard this comic book convention was coming to town way before Leo had disappeared, and they had planned on being here, come hell or high water. Then their brother had been taken, and all thoughts of the convention had completely slipped their minds. But with Leo returned to them, and well on his way to recovery, the convention had once more taken center stage. As luck would have it, it hadn't taken a whole lot to convince Master Splinter to let them go. After all, they had pointed out, if they dressed in their Turtle Titan costumes, they would simply blend in with the rest of the other costumed attendees. No one would ever know that they were the real deal. With something resembling resignation, the elderly rat had granted his permission._

_The two youngest turtles had thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the convention. It had been a blast to see all the rare comics on display, and to get hints about future storylines from their personal favorites. Mikey, especially, had been glad for the chance to replace some of the comic books he'd been forced to leave behind when he and his brothers had left their original home in their old dimension. Michelangelo, on the other hand, had relished the chance to get his hands on one of the very first editions of the newest Justice Force comic; the one that hadn't hit stores yet. Neither turtle had been aware that they were under surveillance the entire time._

_Finally, the Brats had been forced to leave, as the convention began to close up for the night. Talking excitedly over everything they'd seen, and cradling their purchases like the precious cargo they were (at least to the Brats), the pair had left the convention center and headed for the alley where they'd parked the Battle Shell. They had just entered the alley, when their path was blocked by Hun. Michelangelo had simply scoffed when the large man had ordered him and his twin to surrender. In retaliation, Hun had grabbed the plastic wrapped comic book from the turtle's hands and tossed it into a nearby open dumpster. Understandably outraged, Michelangelo had done the only thing that, at the time, seemed reasonable. He kicked Hun directly in the family jewels._

_Face white with pain, the large crime boss had gone down. Unfortunately for the Brats, he hadn't been alone, and all hell broke loose as the Foot ninjas attacked. Like Raph and Raphael, the two youngest turtles had been nearly impossible to get around as they watched each other's shells and kept the Foot from ambushing either one of them. The only thing was, they had forgotten Hun. Having recovered from Michelangelo's blow, the big man came to his feet. Moving quicker than he a man his size had the right to, Hun had sent a punishing blow toward Michelangelo's face. A second blow was directed at Mikey a moment later. Sent flying, the pair landed hard in the midst of the Foot ninjas. Quickly disarmed, the Foot were allowed a few short minutes of payback before Hun ordered the turtles to be tossed into the truck. There it had just been the two of them and Donny until Raph and Raphael appeared, carrying the unconscious Donatello._

TTTT

"So any idea what Big-and-Ugly wants this time," Mikey asked his brothers.

"No clue," Raph responded.

"But you had better believe the Shredder's involved," Raphael growled. "Hun don't do nothing ol' Metalworks don't tell him to do."

"So what do you suggest we do," Donny asked.

"For now, just hang tight," Raph said. "With Donatello out, we're at a distinct disadvantage. Besides, the cavalry has already been alerted." The others relaxed just slightly at hearing that Leo knew that they were in trouble. They had every faith that their brother would be able to pull off a rescue, even if he had to do it single handedly.

Just then, the truck came to a stop. The sounds of people scurrying about outside easily reached the turtles' ears. After a few moments, the back of the van was opened, and the turtles came face-to-face with what appeared to be the entire Foot army. Standing at the head of his "troops" was the Shredder himself.

"Ah, the little green menaces," Saki purred; that tone made every one of the turtles' hackles go up. "Welcome to my humble abode. I do hope we haven't inconvenienced you too badly. But come; let us show you to your new quarters. You're going to be with us a while."

With no other recourse, being both weaponless and outnumbered, as well as handicapped with Donatello out of the fight, the turtles followed Shredder out of the loading bay and into the heart of the building, Raphael still carrying the insensible Donatello. Saki led them through several long, white hallways until they reached a bare, white room. With a glare at their enemy, the brothers filed into the room.

"You're not going to get away with this, Saki," Raphael told the enemy. "Leo's still free, and he's going to come for us. You had better watch your tail."

"Oh, I know your brother won't give you six up without a fight," Saki gloated. "In fact, I'm planning on it. You see, you six are simply the bait; Leo is the real prize. And knowing your too honorable brother, he'll walk right into the trap without a second thought. That's when the real festivities will begin. Until then, enjoy what little peace you have left; it won't last long."

And with that, Shredder was gone. His words ringing in their ears, the brothers looked at each other with concern. If Saki was looking forward to Leo's arrival, then things were far worse than any of them had originally thought. Deprived of anything else to do, the small family settled themselves on the floor to wait, each of them silently praying that their brother's luck hadn't finally run out.


	3. Destiny Awaits

**A/N Ah, our poor, overprotective Leo. What's going to happen to him?**

* * *

For Leo, the night was practically a vacation. Don't take this wrong; he loved his brothers dearly, but having one of them underfoot practically every minute of every day was enough to make the sanest turtle snap. Besides, as he had told Raph, it wasn't healthy for the others to spend that much time and energy looking after him; and he ought to know from personal experience. In any case, all six of his brothers had needed the time away, even if only for one evening, to help clear their heads and keep them sharp.

Leo himself had spent the evening reading. It wasn't often that the Lair was quiet enough to just sit and read. Usually he was either preventing Raphael from killing the Brats for their most current prank, or Donny and Donatello were clanging and banging away at something in the lab, or the whole crew was noisily watching something on the television. To be able to just sit and read with no interruptions was absolute bliss.

With no one to distract him, it didn't take Leo long to finish his books, and he had the lights turned out about midnight. A part of him was a little concerned about his brothers being out so late on their own, but he made himself put aside his worry. After all, they were all traveling in pairs, and if they got into any real trouble, he'd know it rather quickly. He had just settled into his bed, when a flash from Donny snapped him back to full wakefulness. Immediately he knew something had gone wrong, compelling him from his bed. Moving silently, Leo strapped his katanas to his back. A quick check confirmed that his father was asleep. Deciding not to awaken the elderly rat, Leo simply wrote a note to inform his father that he was headed to April's place, and that he would be back as soon as possible.

TTTT

His concern lending him speed, Leo made it to April's building in record time. Keeping to the shadows, Leo slipped into the back alley. To his horror, he found both Donny's and Donatello's ever present bags, along with their weapons, lying abandoned on the ground. But other than that, there was no sign what had become of his brothers.

No sooner had he moved to collect the items, then the very distinct impression of the Brats' distress reached him. The lingering concern suddenly became full-blown fear as Leo was forced to face that his youngest brothers were now also in trouble. Looking at his brothers' belongings, Leo felt himself pulled in two directions. A part of him was loath to the leave his brothers' things behind, but at the same time he couldn't afford to weight himself down by carrying it all with him. Finally Leo settled on the lesser evil of securing the items inside April's shop. They would remain safely there until he or his brothers could return for them. Then, climbing to the roof, Leo set off across town toward the convention center. It would be too late to save his brothers, he knew, but maybe he would get some hint of whom or what was at work this night.

TTTT

The scene in the alley behind the convention center was eerily similar to that behind April's apartment. Scattered across the ground were fours sets of nunchucks, two Turtle Titan costumes, and several plastic-wrapped comic books. After collecting the items, Leo moved to check the Battle Shell. From what the oldest turtle could see, the vehicle was untouched.

By this time, Leo was on the edge of panic. It was apparent someone was methodically turtle-napping his brothers. The only thing Leo could think of was the horror he had faced during his own recent abduction. The thought of his brothers facing even a hint of what had been done to him was enough to make Leo's blood run cold. Still, that only made Leo all the more determined to locate his brothers and free them.

After placing the Brats' possessions in the rear of the Battle Shell, Leo climbed into the driver seat. He had just started the engine, when the sensation he had been expecting for the past little while came over him: Raph and Raphael had joined their brothers in captivity. This time, however, due to his greater connection with Raph and Raphael, Leo was more aware of the situation. He knew that all his brothers were together, which was in and of itself a relief, and that for the most part they were okay; another load off Leo's mind. But what made Leo's heart burn with fear and anger was the image he got of his brothers' captor: the Shredder. Leo was incensed. How dare that inhuman megalomaniac take his brothers and threaten Leo's family once more!

Recognizing that his anger would only hinder his mission to save his brothers, Leo forced himself to calm down. It wouldn't do to go after Saki with a head clouded by anger and hatred. No, if he was going to get his brothers back, Leo needed to keep his head about him. Sending a reassuring message to Raph that he was coming to reclaim his family, Leo turned the Battle Shell back toward April's apartment. He would collect the Genius' things, and then head for home to discuss the matter with his father. He knew that, together, the pair of them would be able to come up with a workable plan that would save their family.

TTTT

Upon reaching the rear of April's building, Leo noticed several changes from his previous visit. First, Raph and Raphael's Sais had been placed neatly against the back door. Secondly, a note had been pinned to the door. Leo's name was across the front. His senses open, wary of attack, Leo climbed out of the vehicle and approached the door. Gingerly, he removed the note and flipped it open. It read:

_By now I'm sure you are aware your brothers are missing. If you wish to see them again, unharmed, you will turn yourself over to me, unarmed, by nine this coming morning. For every hour you are late, I will remove one of your brothers' limbs and leave it pinned to Mrs. Jones' door for you to find. If you do not come alone, or if you come armed, I will disembowel your __brothers, one by one, before your eyes. Take care that you heed these warnings. You know where to find me. O.S.—__the__ Shredder_

Leo read the note twice to make sure he wasn't imagining what it said. Another look at the weapons collected at his feet, very definitely his brothers' Sais, and he knew it was certainly real. Just as certainly, Leo knew he would turn himself over to his enemy the next morning. There was no way he would ever allow Saki to lay one filthy hand on his brothers if there was _anything_ he could do to prevent it. That he was likely going to his death didn't bother Leo the slightest bit. He had always known he would likely die in the protection of his family; he'd accepted that long ago. But Leo was determined that before he went, he would teach his enemy the hazard of messing with Leo's family once and for all.

TMNTTMNT

At exactly eight forty-five the next morning, Leo was standing outside the Foot Headquarters. It had been a long, stressful night, and Leo was ready to finally set things in motion.

_After finding Saki's note the night before, Leo had collected Donny and Donatello's belongings and headed home. His father, who had awakened some time after his departure, was waiting for him when he arrived. The sight of all his younger sons' things had greatly distressed __the elderly rat. He had turned to his oldest son, ready to plan their strategy for how they were going to rescue their family, when he had seen the disturbed look on his son's face._

_"Leonardo, my son, what is it," Splinter had asked in concern. Without a word, Leo had handed his father Saki's note. Splinter had read, then turned __dismayed__ eyes on his son. "You do not mean to do as he wishes, do you my son," he asked. Leo calmly met his father's eyes._

_"I will not allow him to hurt my family," he told his sensei quietly._

_"But surely you realize he is summoning you to your death," Splinter had argued rationally, __but__ his heart was already breaking. He knew that nothing would convince Leo not to turn himself over to Saki__. The sun rose and set each day, and Leonardo did whatever it took to protect his brothers; that was simply how the world worked._

_"I know, father," Leo said. "But I have a feeling this is meant to be. Whatever happens, whatever I face in the coming days, is my destiny. I cannot and will not fight it."_

_Splinter bowed his head in acquiescence. He, too, felt that same sense of destiny hanging over his son's head. Whatever was coming, it was something Leo had been building up to for a long time._

Now it was time. Devoid of everything but his mask, Leo approached the building. He had barely reached the front step, when he found himself surrounded by Foot ninjas, led by the colossal Hun.

"Search him," Hun ordered his underlings, and Leo was forced to face a very extensive, very invasive, search of his person.

"He's clean," one of the black-clad figures reported.

"Good. Then place the cuffs on him," Hun said. A set of thick metal cuffs appeared and were strapped tightly to Leo's wrists, all but cutting off the circulation. A second set were attached to his feet, greatly limiting his ability to walk. Through the whole process, Leo said not a word. It wasn't until the restrictive bands were in place that Leo finally spoke.

"I want to see my brothers," he told Hun firmly. The giant gave him a rather scary, self-satisfied smile.

"Don't worry; you will," he told Leo. "Now, let's go. My master, as well as your family, is waiting."


	4. Unwanted Goodbyes

**A/N This is a rather emotionally intense chapter. At least, I hope that's how you find it. In any case, Leo's final trial is about to begin. Let's hope his brothers are ready for it.**

* * *

During the journey through the interior of the building, Hun and his entourage of Foot ninjas took advantage of Leo's limited movement and did their best to try and trip Leo up. Yet, no matter what they did, the oldest turtle remained solidly on his feet. Indeed, Leo was so calmly collected that one might have thought that walking through his enemy's stronghold while in chains was daily occurrence.

Finally they reached their destination, and Leo was thrust into a blank, empty, white room. Turning to glare at Hun, Leo growled, "Where are my brothers?"

"Never fear," Saki told him, oozing into the room, his typical armor nowhere in sight at the moment. "They are safe; for the moment."

"I insist you let me see them," Leo demanded.

Sake backhanded him across the face. "I'm in charge here, freak," he said. "You had best remember that, or it is your brothers who will pay the penalty."

Ignoring the heat in his cheek, Leo turned cold eyes on his nemesis. "You may be in charge, Saki," Leo said. "But I still have one card to play. Now, either you let me see my brothers, alone, or whatever game it is you have in store for me ends here."

"Just what do you think you can do," Saki scoffed. "You are defenseless."

"No, I am without my physical weapons," Leo corrected. "But I have spent my entire life learning how to control my entire body through the power of meditation. If it becomes necessary, I can will myself to death. What will become of your plan then?"

Saki just glared at the turtle. He was sensed that Leo would, and could, do exactly as he threatened, and the crime lord wasn't sure what Darktide would do if his plan was thwarted at this juncture. Acknowledging that, at least for the moment, the battle was lost, Saki conceded. Besides, in the grand scheme of things, Saki knew he had all the time in the world. Oh, yes, the turtle would pay for making him back down this early in the game.

"Very well. I will permit you to speak with your brothers alone," he told Leo, smiling in a disturbingly self-satisfied manner. "In fact, take all the time you need. When you are ready, the games will begin."

Moving across the room to what appeared to be a blank wall, Saki released some hidden catch. The wall began to rise into the ceiling, revealing a Plexiglas barrier behind it. There, separated from him by the thick sheet of sheer plastic were Leo's brothers.

"I'm afraid you'll have to settle for speaking to them this way," Saki told Leo. "You won't be able to touch them, but you'll be able to hear each other just fine." And with that, Saki turned and left the room, Hun and the Foot ninjas following in his wake.

TTTT

Leo carefully moved across the room to the barrier separating him from his brothers. To his surprise, they were all sound asleep, cuddled up to each other in various positions around the room. Taking the moment to observe them, Leo was relieved to see that, other than the Brats' minor bruises, they all appeared to be in good health. With a sad sort of smile, Leo knocked on the window. It took a few moments, but eventually Donny began to stir. Lifting his head off of Mikey's shell, which he had been using as a pillow, Donny looked blearily around the room for the source of the tapping sound that had pulled him from his slumber. The sight of Leo on the other side of the Plexiglas was enough to knock the sleep from his eyes.

"Leo," he exclaimed loudly. "Everyone wake up. Leo's here."

There were a few groans as the other brothers were likewise pulled from their sleep, but they came awake quick enough when Donny's words filtered through their brains. There was a loud clamor of voices as the six turtles huddled near the window opposite their older brother.

"Leo," Raphael scolded angrily. "What were you thinking, turning yourself over to Saki like this? He's out to kill you, you know."

"I know," Leo replied serenely. The calm look on Leo's face never altered; that in and of itself made the second oldest turtle's heart shudder. That was Leo's accepting look. It was the look his big brother got whenever he had devised a plan that, while guaranteeing that his younger brothers were protected, placed Leo in the position of greatest risk. It so wasn't a look Raphael wanted to see on his brother's face as said brother was standing in chains, in their greatest enemy's stronghold, separated from his family. Leo wasn't planning on coming out of this alive; Raphael could see it in that horrible look on his brother's face.

"Raphael," Leo started, but the younger turtle turned away. He knew what Leo was getting ready to do, and he wasn't ready to hear his brother say goodbye.

Turning back to his other brothers, Leo took a long, loving look at his siblings. "I know you don't like this," he told them, referring to his own imprisonment, "but this is how things have to be."

Mikey, picking up on the stressed emotions of his older brothers, asked desolately, "Sure there was another way?"

Leo just shook his head. "Saki left me a note," he told the others. "If I didn't turn myself over to him, he was going to start dismembering you one by one until I did."

"So, what, you just turn yourself over without being sure we were safe," Raphael exploded sarcastically once more from the rear of the cell. "Real smart, bro."

Leo remained unperturbed. "I _knew_ you were okay," he countered softly. "I would have known otherwise, remember? If he had hurt any of you, he would not have survived the morning. I would have made certain of that."

"So what stopped you from doing that anyway," Michelangelo asked.

Leo got a distant look in his eyes that, if anything, scared his brothers even more. "There is something greater at work here," he said vaguely. "I can sense it. It is something I have to see through."

"But Leo," Mikey protested. Leo shushed him.

"Hush, Mikey, and listen. I need to tell you all this before whatever is coming begins," Leo told his brothers.

"No," Raphael exclaimed, covering his ear. "I'm not listening to you say goodbye. I refuse to believe that you are just calmly accepting this."

Leo turned tear-filled eyes on his younger brother. "It's the way things must be," he said.

"Why," Raph protested, taking his twin's side. "Just because you've had some 'feeling'?"

This time it was Donatello who spoke up. "Stop it right now, both of you," he ordered. "Now, I don't like this anymore than you do. I don't agree with Leo turning himself over, or all this calm talk of death. But I would much rather go into this knowing that we allowed Leo to tell us whatever it is he needs to in order to face the coming ordeal with a clear head. Or would you two rather face the possibility that Leo might die without hearing him out a final time?"

That was enough to shame Raph back into line. Raphael, on the other hand, just gave his brothers a disgusted look before turning his back on them; partly out of anger that they were even having this discussion, and partly to hide the tears that were beginning to roll down his face as he faced the reality that this might truly be the end for his beloved older brother.

Leo gave his immediate younger brother an understanding look before turning his attention back to the remainder of his family. "I've given this a lot of thought, and I'm still not sure how to say it. After all, how do you thank anyone for being your life? Because that's what all of you have been for me. Since I can remember, all of you have been my reason for getting up in the morning, and for pushing on when times have been tough. Even when things have been at their darkest you have been the most important element in my life."

Leo met Mikey's eyes, his own gaze going soft. "Ah, Mikey. How can I thank you for everything? Your gentle touch and warm heart saved me not once, but three times. You were always my ray of sunshine, even when everything else seemed dark and dreary." Turning to Michelangelo he added, "If Mikey was my sunshine, you were its warmth. It would be impossible to have one without the other. Even before Mikey joined our family, you knew exactly what to do to bring a smile or a laugh into our home. I want both of you to know how much I love you. Please, please don't change. Look after the others. They're going to need all your warmth and love to get through this. And no matter what happens, remember I'll always be a part of you, no matter what."

By this time, the Brats were sobbing uncontrollably. Unable to meet their brother's loving gaze any longer, they pulled away from the window, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders for comfort.

Turning his attention to his next younger siblings, Leo allowed a warm smile to cross his face. "Donny and Donatello. Our resident geniuses. I hope by now you understand just how much I appreciate both of you. You bring so much to our family, and I don't just mean your technical skills. Although both of you are engineers first and foremost, you are both healers at heart. I can't count the times your gentle hands have pulled one of us back from the brink of death. You give so much, and ask so little of us. You are my reason and sincerity. You help keep my sane, and help me remember what true, heartfelt sincerity and devotion look like. I love each of you for the incredible individuals you are. And please, I know it's going to be hard, but try and heal the family once more when this is over. The others are going to need you. And look out for each other, too. When you feel like you have no one to turn to, remember you have a brother who will always be there for you."

By now Leo was crying as well, and the hardest part had yet to come. Forcing himself to meet his best friend's broken-hearted gaze, Leo allowed the tears to flow unchecked down his cheeks. "Raph," he choked, unable to get anything more past the lump in his throat. Raph raised a hand to the glass; Leo matched it from his side of the barrier. For a long moment, they just stood there in silence, their empathic bond making words all but unnecessary.

"It's okay," Raph told him softly. "I know. I love you too. And Leo? I forgive you. I understand now that this is something you have to do. I promise; I will look after the family. You have my word. Do whatever it is you have to do."

Leo stood there a moment longer, soaking in his brother's loving warmth. Finally, breaking away, he turned his eyes to Raphael's uncompromising back. "Raphael," he called forlornly, but his brother didn't budge. With a sigh of regret, Leo looked one last time at his disheartened brothers. "I'm sorry," he told them. "I wouldn't hurt you like this for anything in the world, and if there was anyway I could lift this pain, I would do it. Unfortunately, fate has dealt the cards, and I must play the hand I've been given. I hope you can someday forgive me, and always remember that what I do, I do out of love."

With that, he turned away. Before he could step away from the wall, however, Raphael's desperate cry pulled him back.

"Leo," Raphael called out, rushing to the window. If this was truly to be his brother's end, he didn't want Leo going without hearing those oh, so important three little words one more time. "I love you, bro," he told Leo in a rush. "And while I'm not sure I understand, and I certainly don't agree with what you're doing, I want you to know I forgive you. And no matter what, you will always be the best big brother, the best friend, I could ever wish for." Drawing on every ounce of love he had for his brother, Raphael used the special connection he had with Leo to express every bit of emotion he had for his brother.

Leo gave his brother a heartrending smile. "Thank you," he whispered. Then, setting his shoulders back, he turned steadfastly away from his family, and went to face whatever fate had up her cruel sleeve.


	5. Michelangelo: All in the Eyes

**A/N All right, I'm trying something a little different in the next few chapters. Instead of directly describing what Leo's going through, we'll get to see it through his brothers' eyes. I think the emotional impact is stronger this way. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

When Saki walked in a few minutes later, once more dressed in his familiar bladed armor, he had a sarcastic comment regarding the turtles' sentimental little scene just waiting to be released. The stormy look in Leonardo's face, however, warned him that should he dare say anything, the turtle was ready to vehemently retaliate, regardless of the consequences. So, instead of making a snide comment, the warlord simply ordered Leo to the center of his cell.

In the center of the room, laid out in the paneling that made up the floor, was a giant circle, an "X" marking its center. It was to this "X" that Leo was ordered to stand. Once Leo was standing in the middle of the circle, a loud humming noise filled the room. The chains connecting his shackles fell off at the exact moment Leo's arms and legs are pulled away from his body, leaving him suspend in mid-air, spread eagle. Aside from the inherent vulnerability generated by the position, "floating" as he was, about two feet above the floor, all of Leo's weight was held by his wrists, and pressed down against the cuffs around his ankles. After a few minutes of instinctual struggling, Leo was forced to admit he wasn't going anywhere. There was absolutely no give in his restraints; it was like he was suspended in hardened concrete.

"Very good," Shredder murmured with satisfaction as he circled the suspended turtle. "Yes, I think we're ready now." He turned to Hun. "Go fetch Michelangelo from the other cell. We'll start this game off with our guest's youngest brother. And close the viewport, but leave the speakers on full. I want Leonardo's brothers to be able to hear, but not see, what is about to take place.

TTTT

**Michelangelo's**** point of view:**

When Shredder ordered Hun to come separate me from my brothers, I thought Raphael was about to go ballistic. He was already having a hard enough time knowing that something bad to was going to happen to Leo, that the thought of losing yet another brother was almost more than he could take. I think if Hun's guard hadn't been armed with automatic weapons, and if the Shredder hadn't been just a room away with our totally defenseless older brother at his mercy, he'd have taken the chance. As it was, it took Raph and Donatello holding him back to keep him from doing something stupid anyways.

As for me, I just quietly followed Hun out the door and into Leo's cell. I will admit, I did jump a bit when the door closed behind us, locking me in with ol' Metalhead, Beef-for-brains, and Leo. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't what happened next.

"All right, Leonardo, here is how the game works," Shredder told my brother, who was doing a really good impression of a silently fuming Raphael. Huh, wonder who learned that look from whom? Oops, pay attention, there Mike. "You have a choice. Either I allow Hun to break your brother's legs, and quite possibly his spine since he's not always very picky about sort of thing, or you agree to take a beating in his place."

What!!! My brain spasmed about that time, because I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It wasn't the threat to me that bothered me; it was the choice Shredder was giving my brother. Surely he knew Leo would never…then it hit me. This was what the tin-plated freak show had planned all along. He knew Leo would never, ever willingly allow anyone to hurt his brothers like that. Immediately, my eyes met Leo's. His were full of regret as he gave the answer you'd expect.

"Leave him alone," Leo told Saki, though his gaze never left mine. "I'll take the punishment. Just, send Michelangelo back with our brothers. He doesn't need to see this."

"I just knew you were going to say that," Saki gloated. "And no, I think your little brother needs to stay right here. Think of him as motivation to help you remember just why you're going through this."

With that, Saki stepped back, and Hun stepped forward. Without a word of warning, his giant fist came flying out of nowhere, smashing into my brother's face. That's when we discovered another drawback of this bizarre set-up Leo was trapped in. Caught as he was in whatever force field was hold him up, there was no give in his bond; not like there would be if he were being held up by chains or ropes. Instead, Leo was required to take the whole force of the blow to his body. Again and again, Hun's massive fists struck my brother's defenseless body, methodically working him over from his head down.

Suddenly, my mind snapped back to the first time Leo was attacked and beaten by the Foot. It was back when we were only fifteen. Man, I can't believe we've been in this fight against the Shredder this long. Some days it feels like we've been fighting him forever, and others it feels like it was just yesterday that Leo was turning Saki's offer to join the Foot down. In any case, none of us were prepared for what happened that day. I mean, Leo took off for his morning run like usual, while Raphael, Donatello and I just goofed around April's apartment all day. Thinking back on it, I think our behavior was worse than usual that day _because_ we knew something was wrong with Leo. Unfortunately, we didn't press the issue with Master Splinter until it was too late. The sight of my brother's lifeless, bruised, broken body still haunts my nightmares sometimes.

I'm suddenly drawn out of my memories by a new sound. Looking at Leo, however, I couldn't help wishing I hadn't been. Hun was done using his fist on my brother, and had moved on to some type of baton or something. Other than a bloody lip, there's not a whole lot of blood showing, but I can tell his body is just one big bruise by now. That's when I catch Leo's eyes. Now, I've never admitted this to _anyone_, not even Mikey, but Leo's eyes are my favorite part of my brother. When it comes to eye color, I'm the odd one out; well, Mikey and I, what with having blue eyes. All the rest of our brothers have brown eyes. The two Menaces have more hazel-brown eyes, while the Geeks' are a very light, almost amber color. But Leo has eyes the color of chocolate; chocolate accented with gold speckles. Everything about Leo is expressed through his eyes. When he's happy, like the night we pranked the entire family, those gold specks almost sparkle. When he's sad or hurt, his eyes darken to the color of dark chocolate, and when he's mad or upset, well, I can't really describe how his eyes look.

Right now, his eyes are dark chocolate, and I know he's in pain. I can almost feel it. That's when it strikes me; I **should** be feeling it. This is exactly the kind of situation where our empathic bond should be firing away. So why hasn't the empathic backlash (see Geeks, I do listen sometimes) hit yet? Reaching out for my brother's mind all I find is a blank space. Leo has erected some sort of wall, keeping his pain in, and our comfort out. Why, I want to rage at him. Why are you doing this to yourself? Why won't you let us help you? But I don't really have to ask the question to know the answer. Leo's doing it to protect us. Because if the Shredder knew about our connection, he would go out of his way to hurt Leo worse, just to hurt us. And Leo's not going to let him do that.

For some reason, that is what breaks me, and I let the tears come. I don't want to let them; I know that seeing them will only make things worse for Leo, but I can't keep them back. I can't believe the love my big brother has for us sometimes. Closing my eyes, I try and pull myself together, for Leo's sake. It almost works, until I hear it. It's a soft sound, but in that moment it is the most horrible sound in the world. It's the sound of my brother's whimpers of pain. Leo's too stubborn to allow our enemies hear him scream, but even he can't keep those soft sounds of agony from escaping. All at once, there is nothing I want more than to be out of that room, away from what was going on. Maybe I'm just a coward, but seeing my brother, my hero, tortured like this is more than I can stand; especially since he's doing it to protect me.

That's when I feel Mikey's presence in my mind. In a way, his pain is at once worse and better than mine. Behind that covered window, he can't _see_ what Leo looks like. He can't see the pain in those amazing eyes. But, at the same time, all he can do is imagine what must be going on in here. All he has to go on are the horrible sounds of Hun's grunting exertion as he strikes our brother, and the nauseating sounds of flesh on flesh. Nevertheless, I'm glad for his "company." All my other brothers view Mikey and me as "the babies" of the family, the immature youngest ones. They chalk our pranks and excessive sense of humor up to us being the youngest. What they don't understand is that we can only get away with being the way we are because we know we have them, Leo in particular, to support us. Mikey put it best when he described life with his brothers like walking over the Grand Canyon with simply a rope bridge to get you across. On the one hand, it's terrifying, but at the same time it's absolutely thrilling. But it's only thrilling because we have our brothers there to support us. Donatello and Raphael are like the two "hand-hold ropes;" necessary to help you keep your balance, but not supporting much of your weight. Leo, though, is the main line, the rope across which we are walking. He's the one between us, and falling to our death.

Mikey pointed out that when his Leo, his first Leo that is, disappeared, it was like losing that main strand of the bridge. Sure, he was able to keep from falling by clinging to the other two ropes (Donny and Raph), but his movement came to a dead halt. Yes, eventually he might have been able to make it across, but the safety was gone, and with it, the excitement of the journey. And then our Leo had come along, and his bridge had been restrung, stronger than ever. No one else understands that, except the two of us. And now that lifeline, that essential rope in our lives, is coming closer and closer to being cut once more. Closing my eyes, I allow Mikey's presence to surround me. I may not be able to comfort Leo, but my twin and I can at least try to comfort each other. It's what Leo would want us to do.

I don't know how long the torture continues. I lose all sense of time as Hun strikes my brother over and over again. By now, Leo's not even aware, I don't think, of what's going on around him. He's simply hanging there, head on his chest, blood dripping from the cracked skin on his eye ridge and his split cheek. I watch that crimson liquid slide down his plastron, and I swear I feel my own heart break. And yet, despite it all, that blasted mental wall between us doesn't slip once.

At last, Hun is done. With one last blow to Leo's plastron, he finally turns away. Then, without even the chance to make sure Leo's still alive, I'm herded back to the cell with my brothers. They immediately crowd around me, begging and demanding to know what happened, but I can't say a word. Instead, I push past them and hurry to a back corner where I am silently, and completely sick. Silence descends on the room as my brothers realize just how bad it must have been. Then out of the stillness, Mikey comes up beside me and wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his chest. At last, with someplace safe to crash, I let it all go. I sob out my pain, even the pain Leo refused to share with me. I cry for the love my brother has for me, that he would, willingly and without hesitation, take my pain as his own, and most especially, that he would die for me.


	6. Donatello: Unimaginable Loss

**A/N All right, I will admit straight up that Donatello is not my easiest turtle to write for. I have a hard time putting his relationship with Leo into words. That being said, hopefully you will find this chapter an acceptable offering.**

* * *

Two hours. That's how long that sadistic, over steroid-ized Neanderthal throwback tortured my brothers. And yes, I do mean brothers, plural. Although he might not have physically attacked Michelangelo, my younger brother was just as brutalized by what went on in that room as Leo was. That was apparent from Michelangelo's reaction when he was finally returned to us. I have never seen the little clown that serious, or that pale. And then there was the way he rushed to the back of the cell and got sick in the corner, only to break down sobbing moments later as he huddled in Mikey's embrace. No one could comfort him, and the only one he would let near him was his twin. He spent nearly half an hour in tears after he got back to us before falling asleep in Mikey's lap.

As I watch him sleep, a part of me is dying to wake him up to ask him what went on in that room. The other part wants me to burying my head in the metaphorical sand and just pretend this isn't happening. After all, it was bad enough being on this side of things, only being able to hear what was taking place on the other side of that barrier. I can't imagine what Michelangelo went through actually having to watch Hun joyfully beat the living daylights out of our brother. I will admit, I almost joined Michelangelo in getting sick several times. I pray no one else ever has to face this experience: sitting blind in a locked room, their big brother and hero chained up only a room away, and unable to do anything but listen to him being beaten nearly to death with only your imagination to fill in the details. Right now, I'm cursing the fact that I have a very good imagination. And if it was bad for me, it had to be much worse for Raph and Raphael. In fact, the only reason Raphael managed to get through the experience, I think, is because Raph somehow convinced him to direct all his focus on Mikey. Don't know how, not really sure _why_, but it prevented Raphael from hurting himself, or anyone else for that matter. Between the two of them, they kept Mikey distracted, at least mostly, from the disturbing sounds being piped in from Leo's cell. As for Donny and I, we clung to each other, both literally and mentally. I couldn't have made it through listening to that without my twin there to lean on.

TTTT

It has now been nearly six hours since Michelangelo was tossed back into our cell. Go figure, but Shredder permitted us to have a clock in our room. In that entire time, there hasn't been a peep from Leo's room. Neither Donny nor I say anything, but we're both worried. Okay, terrified is more apt a description, but we're trying not to let anyone else know. Not that it matters a whole lot; both Raph and Raphael realize that we haven't heard anything yet, and they understand the implications of what that could mean. The only ones who seem oblivious are the Brats, and part of me is glad about that. They have enough baggage to carry right now; they don't need anything else to worry about.

But wait; what's this? It would seem Saki doesn't intend to starve us after all. I just hope he has plans for sanitation as well, or else it's going to get bad in here quickly. Oh, guess that's what those buckets are for. Not ideal, but better than the alternative. But, wait, what about Leo? I demand to know if my older brother is being fed, too. Saki's response freezes the blood in my veins.

"Your brother is in no need of food," Saki replies a touch too smugly for my taste. "Now, I suggest you eat and get settled in for the night. Tomorrow morning it going to come awfully early."

TTTT

Gee, I hate it when the bad guys get literal. It is barely past five in the morning, and Shredder and his pet mountain troll are back. And joy of joys, it's my turn to be the prod for my brother's torture. Still, even knowing basically what's going to happen when we reach my brother, I don't fight as I'm led from the room.

When I get the first sigh of my big brother, I lose all ability to speak. I thought he had been badly beaten all those years ago when Foot ambushed him before sending him crashing through the window into April's apartment. That was nothing compared to this. Looking at him hanging there, I don't think there's a place on his body that isn't bruised. Even worse, I can see two large cracks running along his plastron. I shudder at that. The amount of force it would have taken to crack my brother's plastron is enormous. If I ever get the chance, I will personally take Hun apart, atom by atom, with my bare hands.

I watch as Saki picks something up from off the floor. With no warning, he tosses an entire bucketful of ice cold water on my unconscious brother. I know it is ice cold, because I can hear the clatter of the ice as it hits the floor. Where he is suspended, Leo jerks awake. I can tell the motion is agonizing from the way his eyes go wide, and the way his breath hitches in his throat. I want to scream at Saki for doing that. As much trauma as my brother's body underwent yesterday, he's at great risk for shock, and that horribly cold water could very well send him right over the edge. Saki just laughs.

"Welcome back," he tells my brother, his tone revealing just how much he enjoys seeing Leo in pain. "Time for round two."

"What is it this time," Leo growls. "Red hot pokers? Cattle prod? Oh, I know. An old fashioned car battery; I'm already wet, so it wouldn't take much for a little 'electroshock thereapy'."

I couldn't help but feel a flash of pride at my brother's goading. While probably not the smartest idea in the world, given the circumstances, at least it proves that his spirit isn't broke yet. Saki, of course, isn't impressed.

"Still your tongue," he orders. "Or your brother here will pay the penalty while I make you watch." Of course, that shuts Leo up fast. Saki gives a nasty little chuckle. "Good. Now, today's choice is going to be simple; your eyes or your brother's hands."

Both Leo and I stare at Saki, not sure we understand what he's threatening.

"What," Leo stutters.

"It's not that hard," Saki says derisively. "You have the choice. Either you can lose your eyes, or your brother will lose his hands."

I watch Leo take a deep breath, even as he begins to tremble just the tiniest bit. I can relate; neither is a choice I'm personally comfortable with. After all, we both rather need all our body parts just as they are. I mean, I can't be expected to fulfill my role in the family if I lose my hands. But even as the selfish thought crosses my mind, a second one follows in its wake. Okay, sure, the loss of my hands would be horrible, but it's not like it would completely cripple me. After all, I'd still be able to think and invent; Donny would just have to do all the manual labor. That's assuming, of course, that we couldn't come up with some sort of cyborg replacement. But a blinded Leo? That particular mutilation and disability would kill my brother. After all, how could he look after us if he can't see? While his body might survive the ordeal, I don't think his mind or his will could.

Meeting my brother's horrified eyes, I try to convey all that to him. I try to let him know it's okay, just this once, to be selfish and think about himself. I should have known better, I guess. Leo gives me a remorseful look before turning back to Saki.

"Take me," he says softly. Of course, Saki's not going to let him get off that easy.

"What was that," he asks Leo loudly. "I couldn't hear you."

Leo looks Saki directly in the eyes and says, "You can have my eyes. Just leave my brother alone."

Saki just gives him a self-satisfied look. "I love how predictable you are," he tells Leo. Reaching to his belt, Saki removes a small dropper bottle. Leo and I look at him in puzzlement. "Oh, you thought I was simply going to cut your eyes from your skull? How crude. Oh, no, this is a much more elegant method. You see, this little beauty dissolves the retina while leaving the rest of the eye intact. Of course, you'll be able to feel every agonizing minute of the process, and believe me, it takes a while."

With no further ado, Saki moves to stand in front of my brother. After getting a dropper full of the foul liquid, he grabs Leo by the chin and forces his head back. With the other hand he places two drops in each of my brother's eyes, and then steps back. At first, nothing seems to happen. Then all of a sudden, Leo starts to whimper, tossing his head back and forth as he tries to rub his eyes against his shoulders. Saki gives an evil chuckle, enjoying my brother's pain. He turns and walks toward the exit. Once there, he hits some sort of control button, releasing Leo from his suspended prison. I watch in mute agony as Leo hits the ground and immediately curls up in a ball, his hands going to his eyes.

"I'll just leave you two alone," Saki says. "I'll come back in a few hours to see how things are going." And with that, he's gone.

TTTT

The door has barely closed before I'm across the room, pulling Leo into my arms. Ah, geez, his bruises are even worse up close, but I can't think about them now. All I can do is thinks about what my brother just sacrificed for me. Very carefully I move us across the room so that I can lean against the wall while I cradle him against me, though his hands never leave his eyes.

"On fire," he whimpers against my plastron. "Eyes are on fire."

The pain in his voice shreds my heart and brings tears to my eyes. I want to ask him why he did it, why he sacrificed himself for me, but I already know. In case you haven't already figured it out, Leo would do anything, sacrifice anything, for us, his brothers. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and every beat of it is dedicated to his family. He moans again, and I tighten my hold. I may not have been able to save him from this, but by golly I will be there for him every step of the way. He's my big brother; enough said.

TTTT

Seven hours; this horrific, torturous procedure has been dragging on for seven hours. I only know that because Donny is able to connect with me and, in some vague kind of way, let me know just how much time has passed. During that whole time, Leo has not moved once, except to rub ineffectively at his eyes. It has been a mixed blessing. Although the pain never increased, it never receded either. Even worse, though, has been Leo's growing fear as the world has grown gradually darker and darker around him. He would never admit he's afraid, of course, but I can tell it by the way he holds tightly to my hand. Even now his hand is trembling in mine, both from pain and from terror.

"It's going to be okay," I whisper futilely to my brother. "We'll get you out of here, and everything will be fine."

"L…liar," Leo accuses softly, and I smile sadly because I know he's right. I'm afraid that, this time, it's not going to be okay. Even if a miracle happens, and we somehow escape, Leo will still be blind. There's no cure for what is being done to him.

Just at that moment, Shredder comes back, Hun ever present at his side. With absolutely no sense of shame or decorum, he simply comes to my side and uses the tails of Leo's mask to pull his head back. He smiles callously at the blank look in my brother's eyes and the minute way he cringes away from his touch.

"Excellent," he drawls. "I think we're ready to move on to part two of this little exercise."

Before I can demand to know what's going on, Shredder drags Leo out of my arms and deposits him in a heap in the middle of the room. From around his waist he unravels what appears to be some kind of whip, though I've never seen a whip glow black like this one does. At first I'm a bit mystified. After all, Leo's a turtle. While a whip would do some damage to the bare flesh of his arms and legs, Leo's too protected by his shell and plastron for it to be able to do much else. I should have known better.

Shredder cracks the whip near Leo's face, making my sightless brother jump in surprise. Suddenly, he lashes out at my brother's back. The lash lands, and proceeds to _pass through_ Leo's shell. Leo, for the first time since this ordeal started yesterday, screams and arches his back. Desperate to avoid getting hit again, he tries to scuttle away from Shredder, but being unable to see makes that all but impossible. Shredder, laughing maniacally, proceeds to drive my brother blindly around the room as he desperately tries to stay out of the reach of that unworldly whip.

After only a few minutes of this humiliating torture, I'm forced to avert my eyes. I can't stand watching this. To see my courageous, strong brother reduced to this, it's more than I can take. Now I understand what Michelangelo experienced yesterday. To see my beloved brother being hurt like this, it's beyond words to describe, and if we ever get out of this, I think it's going to take me a lifetime to get over the sickening images that have become burned into my mind.

At last Shredder tires of his sport. Recoiling the whip, he reattaches it to his belt. Leaving my brother lying in a heap on the floor, he turns back to where Hun and I are standing.

"Return him," pointing to me, "to his brothers and see that they are fed," he orders his massive underling. "We have another big day ahead of us tomorrow."

TTTT

Reaction doesn't set in until I'm back with my brothers. This time there is no yelling or pushing for answers. Instead, they are all dead silent as I enter the cell. Once I'm in their midst, however, the trembling starts. Soon it's too much, and my knees give out, no longer able to support me. Not surprisingly, it's Michelangelo who comes to my side. Sitting down beside me, he wraps an arm around my shoulders.

"Wh…what…what they did…to him," I stutter as I take shuddering breaths and try to force back the threatening tears. "I…I can…can't de…describe it."

"I know," Michelangelo tells me. His voice is so soft, so understanding, it shatters my resolve. I give into the tears I'd been fighting back all day. Raph immediately joins us on the floor, adding his physical and emotional warmth to Michelangelo's as he likewise puts his arm around my shoulders. Donny comes to kneel behind me, wrapping supporting arms around my waist and tucking his head comfortingly against my shell. The emotions I am picking up from my brothers sooths me enough that I stop shaking, but that in turn only makes me cry harder. That's when Raphael drops the bombshell on me. They have no idea what took place in Leo's cell today; Shredder turned off the intercom before escorting me into the other room this morning. My tears immediately dry up as I gasp in shock, too horrified to speak. How can I tell them? How can I describe what Leo and I were put through today? But tell them I must; they have the right to know.

Taking another deep breath, I quietly say, "Saki claimed our brother's eyes. Leo's blind."


	7. Raphael: Nightmare Fulfilled

**A/N Okay, this was a tough chapter, emotionally, to get through. All I ask is that you read all the way through to the note a the bottom.**

* * *

I'm going to kill him; both of 'em, actually. Saki and Hun, that is, and not just for what they've done to Leo, though that by itself is death-worthy. Nope, they're gonna to get it for what they've put my family through: for chippin' away at my little brother's remainin' childlike innocence. For tormentin' Donatello by putting him in a position where one of his brothers is hurting, and there's nothing he can do to help. And even for the horrible memories this whole experience has brought up for my new brothers about when their own Leo was kidnapped and tortured to death by the Shredder of their world. My twin hasn't said anything, but I know he's been tormented by nightmares since we found out Saki was out to get Leo. And I'm going to kill 'em for myself, for making me face the fact that I really am going to lose my brother. I've tried and tried to think of a way that this can end well, and I can't find one.

Leo blinded; I just can't imagine it. My brother spoke so much through his eyes; far more than he ever said with his words. With a single look he could stare down an enemy, or boost a brother's morale. And now that's been stolen from us. Saki had better kill me quick after he's done with Leo, because otherwise I will rip his beating heart from his chest with my bare hands.

I glance at the clock once again. It has been nearly twelve hours since Donatello was returned to us. Twelve hours of not knowing what's going on with Leo, if he's still alive or not. Right now, Raph and I are the only ones awake. He's got the Brats wrapped around him like a pair of cats, both of them sound asleep. It might almost be funny if I wasn't a mirror image with Donny and Donatello curled around me. Neither of us says anything, but we don't have to. I know what he's feeling. The same outraged anger toward Saki that is consuming me, along with the mind numbing horror that he is once more facing the loss of his best friend to a gruesome and protracted death, is curling through him, too. I want to offer him some sort of comfort, anything to relieve his mind, but I can't. Both of us know that there is nothing that can make this better.

Suddenly the sound of the door _whooshing_ open cuts through the silence, and I look up to see Hun smirking, gesturing for me to come with him. Guess it's my turn. As gently as I can, I squirm out from underneath my sleeping brothers. I don't even have to look at Raph to know that he'll look after them while I'm gone. I follow Hun out the door and into Leo's prison. To my surprise, Hun simply opens the door to Leo's room and pushes me in. The door is immediately locked behind me, but I pay it no mind. My entire focus is on the mound in the middle of the floor that is my brother. Hesitantly, almost afraid to breathe, I approach him. For a long moment I'm convinced it's too late, for I don't see his chest move. When I finally catch the slight rise and fall of his plastron, I nearly fall on my knees in relief.

Settling myself on the floor next to Leo, I pull him gently into my arms, ignoring the blood and other filth that coat him. With a trembling hand I trace the scorched holes the cover his shell and plastron. Donatello didn't say anything about that whip burning through our brother's shell, but that's only thing I can see making these marks. With tears in my eyes I trace similar welts on his arms and legs. As painful as they look on the outside, I don't even want to know the damage they've done to the tissue inside his body. Unable to hold them back, my tears fall on Leo's arm. His skin must have been overly sensitized, for that small sensation was enough to bring him back to vague consciousness.

"Don," he slurs out.

"No, bro," I tell him softly, lifting his hand to rest against my cheek. "It's Raphael."

"Raph," Leo murmurs. "Okay?"

"I'm fine," I reassure him, lying through my teeth. Seeing him like this, how can I be fine? But that's not what he needs to hear. "So are the others. You look like hell, though."

It's not a lot, but Leo somehow manages a small smile. Then his expression goes serious again. "Almost over," he whispers. "Not long now."

"Don't say that," I order. I'm not ready to hear it. Leo just gently pats my face.

" 'L be okay," he says. "Trust me."

Of all the things he could have said, he would have to choose that one. Of course I'll trust him. I've spent nearly twenty years trusting him, except for that short, horrible time when I let my jealousy get the best of me, and I will continue to go on trusting him until the day that I die. Even now, when I don't want to follow where he's leading, I will willingly follow him down the path he has set for us, because I know that, no matter what becomes of him, Leo will always lead us safely through.

After that short burst of energy, Leo lays quiescent against my plastron. I don't know if he is asleep or unconscious; all I know is he seemed to gain some measure of peace from having me there with him. That alone is enough for me. Not even the kink I gradually develop in my back from holding him to me without any support behind me was enough to make me even think about relinquishing my hold for one moment. For however much time I was granted, whether it be long or short, I was going to soak up my brother's presence. I knew on an instinctual level that this small moment would be all that would get me through whatever Saki had planned for us next.

I don't know how long I sat hold my brother before Saki showed up. As he entered the room, I just pulled Leo tighter to me and glared at him. He ignored me and, in a surprise move, pressed the release button that raised the shield between my brothers' cell and the one Leo and I were occupying. That accomplished, he finally turned to look at me.

"Put him down and move to the wall," he ordered imperiously.

"Yeah right, you tin-plated can opener wannabe," I scoff.

He growled deep in his throat. "Put him down and move away, or your two techno-savvy siblings will be joining your older brother in his blindness," he threatens.

It's my turn to growl, but I do what he says. I promised Leo I would look after the family; I can't fail now.

"Excellent," he all but purrs, making me grit my teeth. Then, before I can even cry out, he rears back and kicks Leo in the stomach. Leo whimpers and drags his useless eyes open.

"Back already," he grunts. "Gee, I was really hoping someone got ticked off at you enough to kill you in your sleep over night."

"Still some spirit left you, huh," Saki asks a little too pleased. "Well, today's inning should take that right out of you." He pulls a syringe from his belt. "I have in my hand an experimental mixture my labs have been working on for the past several months, and while we know what the computer models say will happen, we have yet to try it on a live specimen. The question is, do you get it, or does your brother."

"Bring it on, you junk metal reject," I yell, trying to draw Saki's attention away from Leo, but it doesn't work. He just continues to stare at my brother expectantly. And, not surprisingly, Leo doesn't disappoint. He just simply sticks out his arm. Without bothering to clean the injection site, Shredder just plunges the needle into my brother's flesh. As he depresses the plunger, I ask, "Just what is that crap?"

"It's called Serum 431," Saki replies. "It's a poison developed expressively for individuals with recombinant DNA. As for what it does, well, we're not really certain. But with your brother's assistance, we're going to find out." That said, he removed the needle from my brother's arm and returns it to his belt. "We're not certain how long it will take for the toxin to hit his system. Until then, enjoy what little time you have left together." And just like a shadow, he's gone, though his dark presence seems to remain in the room like a cloying stench.

Feeling totally out of my element, I look toward the Plexiglas barrier. From the matching horrified looks on the Geeks' faces, it's clear they have a better idea what's going to happen. A sudden choking sound from behind me has me whirling around to see Leo dry heaving, for he has nothing in his stomach to bring up. As I take a step towards him, he starts to convulse. And then he begins to scream.

TTTT

I…I can't begin to describe the atrocities of the past twelve hours. There are no words in any language that can accurately describe what my brother went through. I'm not even going to try. Let's just say that Saki's little poison forced my brother's body to experience innumerable mutations and "de-mutations" at lightening speed. No sooner would one transformation occur, then it would disappear, only to have a new one take its place. Leo screamed the entire time, until his voice just finally gave out. Somehow, that was even worse, watching him scream in silence, knowing he was in agony but unable to express it. And there wasn't a thing I could do to help. The mutations tore through Leo's body too violently for me to be able to get close to him. All I could do, like my brothers in the other room, was watch in mute horror.

It's taken what feels like forever, but Leo's has finally settled down, although the occasional tremor still passes through him. I'm back to where I was this morning; sitting on the floor with him cradled in my lap. But unlike this morning, I know our time is short. Leo's in a bad way. And despite that, I can't help urging him to fight. Maybe it's selfish, but I'm not ready to let him go yet. Instead, I sit grasping his hands tightly in mine. I find myself studying those hands with something akin to fascination.

I have always been awed by Leonardo's hands. I know my family believes Donny and Donatello have the most talented hands in the family, but they don't see what I do in Leo's hands. First there is the strength in my brother's hands. It may not seem like it, but it takes a lot of manual strength and dexterity to wield a sword like he does. And then there's the strength he demonstrates in his weaponless skills as well. But even more than his strength it is the patience and compassion those hands are able to deal out that humbles me. Take how Leo deals with Michelangelo. Even when the Brat is at his most obnoxious, Leo takes care not to hurt him. I know Michelangelo is always bragging about how slow and old Leo is, and how our big brother couldn't catch him if he wanted to, but we all know it's a lie. Leo could break our younger brother with ease; but he never will. Whenever any of us are hurt, Leo's always there. There is no task too small, no chore too demeaning that our big brother. I can't count the number of times those strong hands have lifted me up and supported me when I needed it.

Sitting there, with my brother draped across my lap, the words of a poem I read a long time ago come to mind. I don't remember where I read it, or even how the whole thing goes, but I do remember the final stanza. Pulling my brother closer to me, I whisper it to him, beggin him to heed its message. "And you, my brother, there on the sad height/Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray/Do not go gentle into that good night/Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (1).

Suddenly unable to stop myself, the tears begin to fall, and I find myself weeping into my brother's battered, bruised and bloodied body. "Please," I beg him, but I'm not sure what I'm asking for. I'm finally at the point where all I want is for his pain to stop, however that must be accomplished.

A sudden deep chuckle snags my attention, and I raise wet eyes to see a dark, shadowy figure standing above us. It has no real shape, but it is decidedly male in presence. Two glowing red eyes stare coldly down at my brother and me. At the back of my mind I can feel Raph's confused vague recognition, and I begin to suspect, based on what my brothers have described to us, that this thing is some relation to the benevolent Bridger that was instrumental in saving my brother's life, twice. Benevolent, however, this thing is not.

"Ah," the dark figure purrs. "Yes, the moment has finally come. Your brother is about ready to take the final step in his journey. It's time I provide him with a little…inspiration." Leaning in close to Leo's ear, the menacing figure whispers "It is time for your final trial, Leonardo. Time to find out just how much you are willing to give for your brothers. So the question is, would you willing give up your life for them, or will I be allowed to claim them as my own? The decision is in your hands."

My hear lurches at the creature's words. But at the same time, I feel a measure of peace settle over me. It is time to let Leo go. He's given his all; to ask anymore would simply be a cruelty. Ignoring the dark monster hovering over us, I gather Leo close once more. Keeping my voice soft I say, "Leo, it's okay now. You don't have to fight anymore. If you've been waiting for my permission, you have it. Let go Leo. We'll be all right, you made sure of that."

Something resembling a sigh of relief crosses my brother's lips. Ever so softly I place a hand on Leo's chest. Ever so gradually his heart begins to slow, until that great heart gives one last, stubborn beat. As I watch, his chest rises and falls, and fails to rise again. Giving in to my grief, I bury my face in my brother's neck and weep in grief for what we, and the world, have lost this day.

* * *

**All right, before anyone calls for a cyber lynch-mob, I will remind you that nowhere do I say that this is going to be a deathfic. I will also remind you that Darktide is waiting for Leo to go through some sort of transformation, and he can't transform if he's dead. Now, not to give anything plot-related away, I will tell you that the title of the next chapter is "Nightmare Overcome." And trust me, it's going to take a lot more than pansy Lord Darktide or Shredder to get our boys down.**

**(1)This comes from Dylan Thomas' poem "Do not go gentle into that good night." If you haven't read it, I highly suggest you do, espescially in conjunction with this chapter. Let's just say it add a whole new level of emotion to it.**


	8. Nightmare Overcome

**A/N Not a lot of action in this chapter; but it's coming. Somethings are explained here though; hopefully they make sense.**

* * *

When Leo came back to awareness, the first thing that struck was that he could _see_. What he wasn't expecting, however, was the sewer tunnel he found himself in; a _very_ familiar sewer tunnel. Closing his eyes, he groaned at the irony of the whole situation. Talk about unwanted déjà vu. Despite his best efforts, it seemed death continued to elude him. The universe, he decided, had a very twisted sense of humor.

Unexpectedly, or perhaps not so unexpectedly, given what had taken place that last time he found himself in this very tunnel, Leo sensed a presence behind him. But since he was picking up no malicious intent from whoever was behind him, he didn't bother turning to see who it was. He didn't even bother opening his eyes. That is, until the individual spoke.

"Tough couple of days, huh?"

The comment wasn't unexpected; the voice, however, was. Forcing his eyes open, Leo came face-to-face with…himself. Sort of. Leaning casually against the wall of the sewer tunnel was a younger version of himself, a look of total understanding on his face. It was a very surreal moment for the older turtle. Shaking his head, Leo said, "Okay, what is it this time? But if it's another dimension that needs me, I'm afraid you're all out of luck. I'm all tapped out."

"No, the only dimension that needs you is your own," his dead twin replied. "That's why you're here. Once again, you have a choice to make."

At that, Leo felt like screaming. "What more do you want from me," he demanded. "Haven't I given enough?"

"Yes, you have," his double said solemnly. "And if you honestly feel you can't give anymore, then that decision will be honored. You will be allowed to pass on into your eternal rest unopposed."

"Or…"Leo prompted, certain that there was a second part to this offer. After all, dead alternate versions of one's self don't pull you from death's grasp for no apparent reason.

"Or, you can choose to fulfill your destiny."

Leo, his patience pretty much eaten up after three days of intense physical torture, scowled. "All right," he muttered, "I've about had it up to here with this vague 'destiny' spiel I've been bombarded with the past several weeks. First, something big and bad was hunting me. Fine, that was meant to be. Then my brothers get nabbed I have to turn myself over to my worst enemy. Okay, why not? After all, destiny is calling me. And hey, for the heck of it, I'll even let you torture me to death, since that seems to be what destiny wants of me. What I want to know, before I take one more step, is what the hell this 'destiny' is that I've been blindly following!"

"All right, fair enough," phantom-Leo said completely unperturbed by the outburst. "But you might want to take a seat. This is going to take some explaining. All right, to start with, you understand the term of universal balance, correct?"

"Sure," Leo replied. "There are positive and negative forces and work in the universe. It's the check and balances system that keeps everything from cascading into the chaos and entropy."

"Indeed. Now, consider those opposite forces to be Light and Dark," the younger Leo said. "For each force, there are a multitude of beings working to further the cause of their side. The minions and creatures of the Dark seek to push the worlds towards the darker side of the spectrum by encouraging and bolstering feelings of hate, anger, jealousy, etc. On the other side, the adherents of the Light work to negate, or at least lessen the influence of these powers over men and the world. Now, for both sides, there are varying levels and abilities and authority. At the very basic level are those that are either receptacles of either Light or Dark influence. These individuals are no more than average people who simply have a greater leaning and connection to one side or the other. It is often through these individuals that upper level 'beings' are able to influence the physical world. There are a few other minor levels above a receptacle, but the next 'level' you need to know about are the Balancers and the Destroyers. Those who work for the Light, who seek to keep things balanced, are, of course, the Balancers. These individual take a number of forms. In fact you've had a personal encounter with one yourself."

"The Bridger," Leo said, making the connection.

"Yes, the Bridger," the second turtle confirmed. "By bringing you across to my brothers' dimension, she prevented a Dark vacuum from occurring in my world. The same thing took place when she deposited my brothers in your world. Now, in contrast, Destroyers seek to upset the balance. These are beings like Lord Darktide, who feed off the negative energies produced in the physical realm. They, therefore, seek to create enmity, anger, hurt; all the emotions from the dark side of the spectrum."

"This is fascinating," Leo interjected, "but what does it have to do with me?"

"Between the receptacles, who are mortal beings, and the Balancers and Destroyers, who are transcended beings, there are those that fall outside either definition. They are at once mortal, but with a touch of transcendence. They are always advocates of the Light, for they can only reach their double state by passing a three part ordeal, wherein they are tested for strength of heart, strength of mind, and purity of spirit. You see, generally, those who are tried simply become extremely powerful receptacles. But on the rare occasion, an individual comes along who is so strongly loved, who has so much love dwelling inside them that something happens to them during their trial. They undergo a transformation, and become Avatars of the Light.

As I said, Avatars are very rare, and there are specific elements that must be in place in order for one to come into being. First, the Avatar must have an extremely close group of supporters, known as Guardians, from whom the Avatar draws his or her strength and inspiration. Secondly, this group of Guardians must always be an even number, whether two, four, or six, with the Avatar as the fulcrum of their bond. Lastly, and this is the absolutely most essential part of the equation, there must be an empathic connection among all the members of the group. It is through this bond that the Avatar receives his or her strength, and is able to move a step or two beyond the explicit requirements of mortality. In this way, Avatars become Warriors for the Light. It is they, and they alone, who have the power and authority to face down and drive out Destroyers who make it into the physical plane."

"Whoa, why is it up to the Avatars," Leo queried. "Why don't the Balancers do something? I mean, they're the top dogs, aren't they?"

"Because, except in highly restricted circumstances, Balancers are not supposed to interfere in the physical world. The last time they stepped in to intercede was when Lord Darktide last escaped his dimension and killed your world's previous Avatar. At that time, the Balancers were forced to step in to keep the Dark One from obliterating the Light completely. Still, it took the world to recover from that experience, and it is still remembered to this day. After all, they didn't call them the Dark Ages for nothing."

"All right, I'm almost afraid to ask, since I think I pretty much already know the answer, but what does this have to do with me," Leo asked.

"You are on the brink of becoming the next Avatar," he twin replied.

"This is impossible," Leo exclaimed. "There's no way I'm supposed to be the next Avatar for my world."

"No, your becoming the next Avatar for your home was completely unforeseen, but not impossible" Leo junior countered. "I do not believe that when the Bridger sent you from your home dimension to that of my brothers that she intended for this to be the outcome. While it is true that at the time you were a nascent receptacle, there was no intimation that you would, or could, become anything more. However, the truth cannot be overlooked that you have faced and passed all three levels of your ordeal with flying colors. And then there are your brothers. Unintentional or not, you have created a Guardian circle for yourself, complete with empathic bond. All that is left is for you to choose to accept your new abilities and role as Avatar."

Leo pondered that for a moment before asking, "Just what would happen if I accepted?"

"You would be returned to your body, whereupon it would be your privilege to kick Lord Darktide's butt all the way back to his home dimension," the younger Leo said. "And Saki's too, while you were at it."

"One little problem with that scenario," Leo said. "In case you weren't aware of it, my body has pretty much had it."

"Don't you remember what happened to your injuries after your return from your time with the Babbots," the ghost asked. "How your wounds healed so rapidly and so completely that they left no scar? Well, with the power of Avatar to boost your connection that effect would be increased a thousand fold. Your body would be healed before you even drew your first breath."

"Uh-huh, and how's that supposed to happen when the empathic connection between my and my brothers isn't working?"

This time the phantom became a little shame-faced. "I'm afraid that was my doing," he admitted. "If your bond had been permitted to remain active, Lord Darktide would have picked up on it immediately, and he would have killed one or more of your brothers in order to prevent your ascendance from taking place."

Leo sat back and considered everything that had been revealed to him. A large part of him resented being manipulated this way. Even more, he hated what his family had been put through on his behalf. At the thought of his brothers, Leo abruptly discovered that his connection to them had been restored, and he suddenly found himself inundated with his siblings' grief and pain, reminding him that, to them, he was dead. That settled to matter for Leo. For himself, he was ready for the peace death offered. But while his brothers still needed him he couldn't take the selfish, easy path. No, he decided. He would go back; for his brothers. His time would come, but only when they were _all_ ready to go.

_Congratulations_, a voice rang softly in Leo's mind. _You have passed the final test. In choosing to die for your brothers, you demonstrated your devotion for them. In choosing to live for them however, with all of the sorrows and pains that make up life__, you have truly demonstrated your love. Go with our blessing, Avatar_.

Leo looked at his younger self. "What was that," he asked. "I thought you said there were three parts to the trial."

"Think of it as the final exam," the shade told him. "So, are you ready to go?"

Leo climbed to his feet. "What do I need to do," he inquired, now anxious to return to his family.

"Follow me," the younger turtle told him. "We have a short walk to reach the departure point."

For a moment, the pair traveled in silence. Leo finally broke it by asking, "Do you miss them?" There was no need to explain who the "them" were.

"All the time," his fellow turtle replied. "It helps that I can check in on them whenever I want, but it's not the same as actually being there with them. There for a while I was getting desperate as I watched them fall apart after sensei died. But then you came along and put them back together."

Leo laughed lightly. "I think you got that a little backwards, don't you?"

"No. As much as you needed them, they were desperate for you. Raph wasn't exaggerating when he described how close to committing suicide he was."

Silence reigned once more, until Leo said, "Thank you for sharing them with me. Your, no, our brothers have become absolutely essential to me."

"Thank you for looking after them so well," his double responded, his eyes shimmering with tears. "Thank you for giving them the love and support I no longer can."

At that moment, they came to a T-intersection in the tunnel. Ahead of them was a portal of glowing light.

"Well, this is where we part ways," young Leo said. "Take care of yourself. And keep taking care of those brothers of yours."

"Ours," Leo corrected. "And I will." He turned to step into the awaiting light, when his twin's voice drew his attention once more.

"Wait; would you do one more thing for me," the other turtle asked. "Would you tell Raph I forgive him and that I love him? That I always knew he never meant what he said to me that night before I disappeared. Tell him it's time to stop carrying that guilt. And give my love to Mikey and Donny as well."

"I'll tell them," Leo vowed. "I promise." And with that, he stepped through the portal.

TMNTTMNT

Raphael placed his hand on his brother's plastron. Under his touch that brave organ gave a few last, shuddering attempts to continue to pumping, before finally falling still. Leo's plastron rose and fell one last time, then was still as well. Raphael buried his head in his brother's neck and began to sob. Less than a heartbeat later, however, something bizarre happened under his touch. For a split second it felt as if some sort of fire has raced through his brother's deserted body. And then Raphael felt something miraculous; the steady, effortless beating of Leo's heart against his hand. Rearing back in surprise, Raphael found himself looking his brother in the eyes; his bright, glowing, _seeing_ eyes. In fact, all of Leo was glowing with a warm, golden light.

"Leo," he asked softly, unable to believe what he was seeing. "But…but you were dead!"

"Not anymore," Leo responded, climbing effortlessly to his feet and pulling his brother up with him. All signs of abuse were gone from his body.

"But…how," Raphael stuttered in shock.

"Later, I promise," Leo told him, turning to face the startled Lord Darktide. "Right now I have some business to take care." His eyes literally blazed as he looked at the Destructor, and the golden glow surrounding his body intensified. "Playtime's over," he growled. "I'm through being your bitch. This time, I'm calling the tune; let's dance."

* * *

**Just a quick note. I was asked where my story falls in with cannon. In all actuality, it's an AU, based partly on the 2003 cartoon. The second set of brothers, the ones with the leather masks, are from my own, alternate, non-cannonical, universe. Hopefully that clears up any questions.**


	9. One Down, One to Go

**A/N All right, the boys start getting a little payback, and Saki gets what's coming to him. Please pardon the lack of details, however; trying to coreograph a seven-way fight in words is a little beyond me. But watch out for cliffs ahead; you might find yourself hanging from one. ;)**

* * *

Raphael couldn't help but gape at his big brother; his living, breathing, **seeing**, pissed-as-hell big brother. For the life of him, Raphael wasn't sure what to think. He'd felt too many emotions in the past several days, from fear to anger to heart-rending grief, for him to be certain exactly what he _was_ feeling. Relief and joy were a large part of it, sure, but the fear and anger were still there, too. Fear that this was simply a figment of his imagination; that he was going to wake up at any moment to find that his brother was still lying dead on the floor, and anger at everyone, including Leo to a small extent, for putting him through all of this. Putting the matter of his emotions to the side for a moment, Raphael focused on simply observing Leo.

The first thing that Raphael noticed was how…different his brother seemed. It wasn't different in the just-came-back-from-the-dead-as-a-vampire-or-zombie type thing. No, there was something else, something vaguely familiar about how Leo looked, with that bright, glowy aura around him. Then it struck Raphael; Leo looked like that Darktide character, only he glowed with light instead of darkness. For reasons Raphael couldn't explain, this change in his brother disturbed him even more than Leo's coming back from the dead. Had his brother been changed so elementally that he wasn't even Leo anymore? Just then, Leo caught his eyes, and there was a look of such concern and love in those radiant orbs, a look that was so "Leo," that Raphael was able to put his fears to rest. Whatever had happened to his brother during that short time he was dead, that was still Leo there facing off against the extra-dimensional goon. Which meant Raphael needed to get off his shell and do his job; namely freeing their siblings.

Rushing over the door, however, he couldn't figure out how to open the dang thing. Likewise, he didn't have his fall back method of opening the recalcitrant doorway (namely his sai). Fortunately, Donny was on the job.

"Press the buttons at twelve, three, and center," Donny called to Raphael, using the clock as his reference points.

"And it will be nine, three, five to get in our door," Donatello added, making Raphael shake his head. Here they were locked up, forced to watch their brother be unmercifully tortured, and the Geeks still managed to have their head about them enough to memorize the door codes. And, of course, it worked. In a matter of second, the younger turtles were all freed, whereupon they gathered back in the room where Leo and Darktide were facing off.

TTTT

After breaking his opponent's gaze long enough to check on the seemingly frozen Raphael, getting him moving once more, Leo turned his attention back to Darktide.

"What are you," the Destroyer lord growled.

"I think you know," Leo replied. "Or has it been so long since you killed the last of my kind that you've forgotten? But the, I guess getting your tail locked in your own dimension will do that to you."

"Impossible," Darktide spat, taking a step toward the turtle. "There's no way you can be an Avatar."

"Think again," Leo told him. "I passed all three parts of my ordeal _and_ I have my circle of Guardians. You see, Dork Breath, you made a mistake in forgetting my brothers, and in ignoring just how important they are to me."

Darktide's eyes narrowed has he processed that bit of information. Then a cruel sense of satisfaction filled the room. "Very well the," he crooned. "I'll just have to take care of that little oversight now." His plasma whip, the same one he had lent to Shredder the day before, appeared in his hand.

Leo's eyes blazed brighter, and suddenly two flaming swords appeared in _his_ hands. "I don't think so," he countered. "Your interference in this world is over." He took a step toward Darktide. Suddenly, the whole room shook as a loud _BOOM_ split the air.

TTTT

"What the shell was that," Mikey exclaimed as he tried to keep his footing despite the quaking of the room. "Earthquake?"

"It's the cavalry," Leo told his brothers, his attention momentarily diverted from Darktide. "It's Master Splinter and the others coming to rescue you."

"What did he do, call in the National Guard," Raphael asked, his eyes going wide as the building shuddered again.

Leo just smiled. "No, just Casey, Leatherhead, Usagi, Gen, and Professor Honeycut."

"And what, they're just going to blast the place to pieces," Raph exclaimed.

"Something like that," Leo admitted. "Our father decided that he has had enough of Saki's intrusion in our lives. I believe he plans on taking the whole place down tonight, and screw subtlety. Of course, the fact that he probably believes I'm dead by now might have something to do with it."

"Something I will be happy to make truth," Darktide interjected, tired of being ignored. Leo and the others continued to dismiss him as momentarily unimportant.

"You know what this means, don't you," Donny said. "Saki's going to be down here any minute, either to kill us, or to grab a hostage or two before Master Splinter arrives."

"Yeah, and us without a weapon, barring Leo's of course, in sight," Raphael huffed.

"Hold on," Leo told his siblings. "I think I can help out here." He closed his eyes and "reached" out with his mind. His brothers' weapons, like his own katanas, were such a part of them, that locating the "sense" of them in the building was not difficult. Drawing on knowledge he hadn't, until this point, realized he now possessed, Leo opened a portal to the weapons and summoned them. His brother's all jumped as their weapons appeared at their feet.

"All right," Raphael whooped as he picked up his Sais. "Now that is what I call a worthwhile talent."

"Enough of this," Darktide thundered once more. "Face me, Avatar, or I will kill your brothers here and now."

Leo turned back to the indistinct figure just in time to see his whip come flying toward him. Moving with a speed that wasn't mortal, he moved out of the way and caught the lash on his sword. A _crackle-hiss_ sounded as the two weapons connected. Using the tangled whip, Leo pulled his enemy toward him, lashing out with his second sword. Darktide, however, released his grip on the whip, making it disappear, and moved out of the way of the oncoming blade. Moving back a few paces, he regarded his opponent, cracking his newly reformed whip agitatedly as he and Leo circled on another. Before either one could make their next move, however, attention was once more diverted from their fight by the sound of the door _whooshing_ open behind Leo, and the unpleasant sound of Saki's exclamation of: "What the hell is going on here?"

TTTT

Raphael glowered at Saki. Here, in his mind, was the source of all the heartache and misery he and his brothers had been subjected to. Or, at least the source _he_ could feasibly take on; it was quite clear from their first little soirée that the only one who had any hope of taking out Darktide was this new and improved Leo. But that was alright with Raphael. He would take on Shredder any day, and especially now that he truly had a reason to resent the metal-plated whack job. Deep inside, Raphael could feel similar emotions emanating from his brothers. Oh, yeah; Saki was in for a world of hurt, turtle style.

In typical Brat style, Michelangelo got the ball rolling by calling, "Hey, Shredster, glad you could join the party!"

"You even arrived fashionably late," Mikey added. "Though you obviously didn't get the note about this being a casual affair; the suit is so overkill, dude."

"Why you little…" Saki started, but he was cut off by virtue of Donatello's bo staff being thrust in his face.

"Watch the language, buster," he warned Saki.

"Yeah, we're the only ones who can call the Brats names," Donny added, stepping up beside his twin.

"I think it's time we had a word with you, bozo," Raph put in, moving to stand behind and to the left of the maniacal warlord.

"And that word is die," Raphael said, moving the complete the circle the younger turtles had been creating around Saki. Moving as one, they attacked him together.

"Guys," Leo called out to his brothers in concern as he watched them attack Saki, sounding more like himself than he had in a long time. He didn't want them taking on more than they could handle.

"Don't worry about it bro," Raph called back as Shredder threw him out of the fray. He dusted himself off and jumped back into the mix. "Just take care of your new pal over there. We've got Saki."

His brothers' confidence, coupled with all the pent up aggression he could feel from their past several days of captivity, was enough to convince Leo that, at least for the moment, his brothers had everything well in hand with Saki. That worry take care of, he returned his attention to Darktide. With a growl, he launched himself at the shadowy figure, pushing off at the last moment to flip over the shadowy Destroyer. As he landed, he swung his right sword at his opponent's back. Darktide, however, was just as unearthly fast as Leo, and moved out of the way just in time. In retaliation, however, he swung his whip at Leo. Whirling to the left, Leo caught the lash on his left sword. Then, keeping his rotating momentum, he whirled around to sever it with his other blade.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Leo taunted his adversary.

With a roar of rage, Darktide shot six tentacle-like filaments at him. With a leap, Leo cartwheeled over them, shearing them off with a single slice of his sword. Darktide bellowed in pained fury. In a movement too fast to see, he shot another strand at Leo. This time Leo didn't see it in time, and it wrapped around his waist. Although it did not burn like the whip had, the tip of the tentacle did manage to find the one weak spot in the turtle's plastron: the hole where Stockman from the other dimension had shot him. Like some sort of evil worm, it pushed itself through that hole and burrowed deeply into the tender flesh beneath. Leo screamed as it pushed its way into his body and, acting without thought, cut the tentacle, separating it from Darktide. At once the feeler disappeared, but the wound continued to bleed and burn.

Eyes narrowed in pain and anger, Leo hissed, "My turn." He hurled one of his swords at the amorphous figure of Darktide, slicing neatly through his side. The Destroyer screamed and retreated slightly from the fight to nurse his wound. With his adversary momentarily distracted, Leo was able to turn his attention to other business. First, with a wave of his hand, Leo summoned his sword back to his hand. He then turned to see how his brothers were faring.

On the other side of the room, Saki found himself on the losing side of the fight. For one, he was unaccustomed to facing six turtles at once. Usually they attacked him one by one, making them easy to defeat. This congregated attack was all but impossible to hold off. But even more, he wasn't used to the brothers fighting as a single unit. Every time he would block one blow, a second and a third would come from the opposite side. Thanks to the two Geniuses he'd already lost his helmet, and a neat little twist of Raphael's sai had snapped the blade off of his gauntlet. That wasn't to say he hadn't made his attackers work for their victories; he had, as could be seen in the deep cut down Mikey's left arm, and the heavily bleeding gash across Raph's right cheek. It just wasn't enough. The brothers, using their empathic connection, were able to anticipate each other's moves, making it nearly impossible for Saki to get through their defenses.

Suddenly, Saki found himself flat on his back. Working in tandem, the Brats had double teamed Shredder with stunning blows of the nunchucks to his chest, forcing him backwards, where he tripped over Donny's bo that the two Geniuses were holding behind him. Before he could regain his feet, Saki found each of his hands pinned to the floor by the end of a wooden staff. The Brats were sitting on his legs, holding them down as well. For the first time ever, Shredder began to panic. His panic turned to out and out alarm as he met the scowling looks of Raph and Raphael.

"It's over Saki," Raph rumbled. "Your reign of terror ends now."

"Like you would actually kill me in cold blood," Saki scoffed, trying to hide the fear he was feeling. "You don't have the guts." His eyes went wide as white-hot pain shot through his gut. His startled eyes followed the blood stained sai that Raph pulled from his body.

"After the past few days we've had, gettin' rid of you is simply like taking out the trash," Raphael added. Then he plunged his blade into Saki's heart, a sense of relief flooding him as he watched the light die from his enemy's eyes. At long last, the threat the Shredder had been to his family was no more. As a whole, the brothers turned to face Leo and Darktide.

Moving to stand between his opponent and his family, Leo faced the Destroyer as well.

"Give up," he told the dark creature. "With my brother's support, there is no way you can defeat me."

"Is that right," Darktide challenged. "Then maybe I'll just even the odds a little bit." And with that, three tentacles flew across the room to wrap around Mikey, Donny, and Raph. "If I must go, I'm taking a consolation prize with me. Let's see how strong you are with three of your brothers dead." And with that, he disappeared, taking the three younger turtles with him.


	10. It's Not Ove Yet

**A/N All right, Darktide gets his. But things aren't over for the brothers just yet. Mwahahaha...**

**

* * *

**

Staring at the place where Darktide had disappeared with his three youngest brothers, Leo growled, "Donatello, Michelangelo, stay and wait for Master Splinter. Raphael and I are going after Darktide."

"But—" the pair protested in unison.

"No," Leo cut them off. "I need two of you to stay here and explain what's happened to Master Splinter. I promise, as soon as you've done that, you'll be brought to where we are. Don't worry; I have no plans of tackling Darktide without all of you to back me up. But we're not going to cause sensei anymore unease than we already have."

Recognizing Leo's tone as his no-nonsense, I-will-accept-no-arguments voice the two younger turtles stopped their protestations. Their resentment was momentarily abated as a golden portal suddenly appeared before them, and Leo and Raphael disappeared through it. Fortunately, their wait for their father after their brothers vanished was not a long one.

"My sons," Splinter exclaimed as he barreled into the room. Without a second thought, the two turtles hurled themselves into their father's arms. The small group remained holding each other in silence for a long moment, before Splinter finally stepped back. "My sons," he asked gently. "Where are your brothers? Have they--?"

"No," Donatello exclaimed. "Well, Leo was, but only for a moment. But then he came back, but he was all glowy. And he fought Darktide while the rest of us took out Shredder, but then Darktide grabbed Mikey and Donny and Raph, and Leo and Raphael went after them and…"

"Donatello, slow down," Splinter interposed. "You are not making any sense."

"Yeah, dude, you're sounding like me," Michelangelo gibed.

Donatello took a deep breath. "Okay, skipping all the 'Leo torture' right now, because I so don't want to think about _that_ for a while, let's just say Leo, uh, well, he…"

"He died," Michelangelo supplied, not bothering to sugarcoat the truth, trusting that his father would be able to handle it.

"But he was dead for less than a minute," Donatello interjected quickly. "But when he came back, he was glowing, and all his wounds were healed."

"Anyway, there was this dark glowy dude called Darktide that like, I don't know, wanted to eat Leo or something," Michelangelo said, butting in again. In his mind, Donatello just wasn't telling this story fast enough. "In any case, he and Leo were about to go at it when the room started to rock-and-roll. That's when Saki showed up."

"At any rate," Donatello said, taking over narration once more with a scowl at his younger brother. "Leo faced off with Darktide, and the rest of us took on Saki."

"Yeah, we whupped his butt," Michelangelo crowed.

"So I see," Splinter said rather archly, giving his old nemesis' dead body a searching glance. It was that he didn't trust his sons; it was just that his old enemy just had a way of not being as dead as he ought to be.

"Don't worry, sensei," Donatello told him. "Raphael put a sai through his heart, and Raph one through his gut. There's no way he's getting up and walking away from that."

Turning away from the corpse, satisfied that it was as his sons had stated, Splinter said, "This is all very fascinating my sons, but it does no tell me where your brothers are."

"Well, after we dispatched Saki, we turned our focus on Darktide," Donatello said. "But before we could engage him—"

"He totally grabbed our twins and disappeared through a time-space-dimensional portal-window thingy," Michelangelo exclaimed.

Donatello just sighed at his brother's over-enthusiasm. "That actually about sums it up," he was forced to admit to his father. "Leo and Raphael, through some weird new ability Leo has, went chasing after them. We were told to wait here and explain it to you."

Master Splinter crossed his arms thoughtfully. "It does not sit well with me that your brothers are attempting this alone. I fear they will need your assistance in defeating a foe as powerful as this Darktide seems to be."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, than Donatello and Michelangelo disappeared in a flash of golden light. Splinter might have been concerned had he not sensed his oldest son's presence in that small moment. "Be careful, my sons," he said the empty room. "Come back safely."

TMNTTMNT

Donatello and Michelangelo rematerialized in an environment very different from the one they had just left. To all appearances, it was a desert landscape; only, the ground and surrounding environs were composed of some sort of black rock. Overhead, the sky, at least that which could be seen between the soot colored clouds, was a raw, rusty/bloody red color. Not two yards away from where the two younger turtles had appeared were Leo and Raphael.

"Hey," Michelangelo called out to his brothers. "I thought you two would be long gone by now."

"Actually, we just got here ourselves," Raphael told him. Michelangelo got a very confused look on his face.

"But," he protested. "You left like fifteen minutes ago."

"Let's just say time works a little differently between dimensions and leave it at that," Leo told him. Michelangelo just shrugged; that was all the explanation he needed anyway.

"So, which way should we go," Donatello asked.

"There," Leo said, pointing northward. There, to the others' shock, was the outline of some sort of castle. "Our brothers are there," Leo told them. "I can feel it."

The turtles set off across the wasted landscape, largely sticking close to their older brother. They had all learned the hard way that getting too far beyond the golden glow cast by the aura surrounding Leo caused them to become dizzy and disoriented. It didn't bode well for them being able to help very much in freeing their brothers.

It soon became apparent that either distances were deceiving, or time truly didn't work the same here as in their own dimension, for in no time at all the brothers had reached the base of the castle. Or at least it had once been a castle. Now it was simply a burned out shell, resting on top of a high mesa. At the base of the mount, they found their brothers chained to the rock, unconscious. Darktide was nowhere in sight.

"I don't like this," Raphael said, observing the scene.

"Neither do I," Leo admitted. "But we can't just leave them here."

"Dudes, you know this is so totally a trap, right," Michelangelo said.

"So," Donatello countered. "Like Leo said; we can't leave them here."

Michelangelo shrugged, nonchalantly. "Just checking," he said.

"What are we waiting for," Raphael growled. "Let's go."

"Wait," Leo commanded, placing a restraining hand on his brother's shoulder. "There's something I need to do first."

"What now," Raphael rumbled in frustration.

"I'm not sure how well your weapons are going to work here," Leo told him. "As you've seen, thing don't exactly work along the same principles they do in our world."

"So what do you suggest," Donatello asked. "It's no like we have a whole lot of choices here."

"Let me try something," Leo said. He closed his eyes in intense concentration for a long moment. All of a sudden his brothers' weapons took on the same golden glow as surrounded Leo. "There, that should do it," Leo said, opening his eyes. "Now we can go."

The brothers quietly made their way across the plateau to where their siblings were being held. As Leo stood guard, the others set about freeing their brothers. It turned out that Leo had been right. While their twins' weapons made absolutely no dent in the strange rock, their newly "glowified," as Michelangelo had put it, weapons worked like a charm. They had just freed Donny and Mikey, and were working on Raph's restraints, when a loud roar split the air. In unison, the brothers turned to look for the source of that un-earthly sound. Emerging from behind the mesa was what they guessed must be Lord Darktide in his natural form.

The creature was as tall as a three story house, and twice that in length. To all appearances he was a walking skeleton, and a cross between a horse, a bat, and scorpion. His overall body shape was that of a horse, but he had two bat-like wings jutting from his back, and a scorpion's stinger in place of a tail. Likewise, his feet ended in talons rather than hooves. Tattered bits of flesh could be seen hanging from his otherwise bleached bones. The eye sockets of the skull were filled with the same glowing red that the formless Darktide they had faced in their dimension had possessed, while writhing black tentacles sprouted from his jaw.

"Man, that is just gross," Michelangelo exclaimed.

"Silence mewling pest," Darktide ordered. "You are in my world now. Now you will face the full force of my wrath."

"Dude, who writes your lines," Raphael taunted. "You sound like something out of a cheesy 80's cartoon."

Darktide gave an earsplitting roar. "You will regret your quick tongue," he hissed at Raphael. "Especially as I rip it from your mouth and devour it."

"Okay, now I'm grossed out," Donatello said. With an angry snarl, Darktide swiped at the purple-masked turtle with a clawed talon. Instead of hitting his target, however, he found his blow blocked by Leo's blazing sword.

"You are not going to touch them," he told Darktide. "I will cut you to pieces first."

Darktide chuckled sinisterly. "You are no match for in that form," he told Leo. "Your measly weapons are no match for my natural shape. Besides, I can feel you beginning to weaken. Your earlier wound is already slowing you down. It won't be long before the darkside poison my feeler injected into your body has completely overcome you. After all, unlike wounds created by mortal weapons, those induced by one of my kind cannot be healed by your Guardians' bond."

That got the attention of Leo's siblings. Up until now they had forgotten that Leo had been wounded in the stomach by Darktide's tentacle. If what he was saying was true, it seemed like they were still in danger of losing their brothers, despite his miraculous recovery earlier. Leo, on the other hand, did not appear to be concerned.

"What become of me is of no import," he responded. "All that matters if saving my brothers, and ensuring that it is a long, long time before you see ought beyond this dimension again."

"You are welcome to try," Darktide challenged.

Turning to Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello, Leo said, "Free Raph and see if you can get the others awake. I have a plan for defeating Darktide, but it requires the assistance of all six of you." Then before his brothers could protest, Leo charged his opponent.

"You heard him," Raphael told his brothers sharply. "Get started on waking Donny and Mikey. I'll free 'Menace junior' over there."

TTTT

With his brothers working on releasing their twins, Leo was able to focus solely on Darktide. Drawing on his new speed, he raced between the undead creature's front legs, swiping at them as he ran past. Darktide screamed as the blades nicked him, and he tried to stomp on the much smaller turtle. As Leo emerged from beneath Darktide's massive form he dove sharply to the right, barely missing being skewered by the stinger of Darktide's tail. Climbing to his feet, Leo taunted, "You're going to have to do better than that!"

With an angry snarl, Darktide abruptly took to the air, his skinless wings somehow lifting him off the ground. Leo was forced to duck and roll as one of the colossal talons cut through the air where his head had been only moments before. As it was, he still ended up with a new scrape in his shell. Leo then took off across the plateau, dodging erratically back and forth, making Darktide chase him. After a few moments of this, however, Leo knew he couldn't keep it up much longer. He hoped his brothers would hurry in waking their twins because if he was going to win this fight he was going to have to change tactics, and soon.

Just then, a wave of power rolled through Leo, and he knew all his brothers were once again conscious. With a smile of satisfaction, Leo came to a sudden halt. Summoning all the energy created by his bond with his brothers, Leo shifted shape. Where once a turtle had stood, a large blue-and-gold dragon now was. Glaring at Darktide with very familiar chocolate brown eyes, the dragon spat out a jet of golden flames, sending the skeletal nightmare plummeting sharply to escape them. With a powerful leap, the dragon took to the air.

Screeching in outrage, Darktide pumped his wings, trying to gain the advantage of altitude. He was too late, however, and the dragon was able to meet him as he dove from the sky. Ignoring the claws that tore ineffectively at the tough hide of his back and the venomous sting of the barb that stabbed over and over at his back, the dragon grabbed Darktide by the throat and forced him to the ground. Again and again Darktide's tentacles tried to stab at the dragon's eyes, but a forceful shake of his head soon stopped that nonsense.

Once Darktide was effectively pinned, a gold glow covered the two giant forms. When it faded, the other turtles saw that Darktide was trapped inside some sort of glowing net, while Leo was on his knees next to him. Worried, the others rushed to their older brother's assistance.

"Leo," Raph cried in concern as he reached his brother's side. Pulling one of Leo's arms over his shoulder, he helped Leo to his feet.

"Hey, bro, you did it," Michelangelo congratulated his sibling.

"Not yet," Leo countered, his voice revealing his exhaustion. "He's only temporarily trapped. We have to do something that will imprison him a little more permanently. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to face him again a few years down the road when the next idiot gives him a way out of here."

"Speaking of that, how did he get out this last time," Donatello asked.

"It was that dimensional project of Saki's we destroyed in the other reality," Leo told him. "Although it wasn't locked on this dimension long enough to fully release him, it created just enough of an opening that Darktide was able to send a small part of himself into the physical realm. From there, he simply followed us home."

"Well this is one unwanted puppy that won't go following anyone home for a long while," Raphael said.

"Yes, well, we have to figure out how to lock him in," Leo said.

"Hey Leo," Donny asked. "Just how much influence do you have over this world?"

"Enough," Leo replied. "Why?"

"Because I have an idea, but it's going to take all of us working together with you making it reality."

Curious, the others gathered around their brother. "Let's hear it," Leo urged.

"Well, what if we…"

TTTT

Nearly two hours later, the project was done. Following Donatello's suggestion, Leo had trapped Darktide in the center of a giant maze. Throughout the maze were puzzles and traps thought up by all of Leo's brothers, and then turned into reality by Leo. It wouldn't hold the Dark One forever, but Leo suspected it would take Darktide a good while, at least a couple thousand years, to get out. After all, with no limits placed upon them, his brothers could get _very_ creative. But now, at last, it was done.

"Let's go home," Leo told his brothers tiredly. After making sure they were all gathered together, Leo opened a new golden portal, and they all stepped through.

TTTT

It had been two days, and there had been sign of his sons. Splinter was beginning to fear that they had finally met their match in that distant reality. Only the small sense of them kept him from giving up hope completely.

By now it was mid-morning of the third day, and Splinter was in the middle of meditating, when the very familiar sound of his sons' banter reached his ears. Immediately abandoning his mediation, the elderly rat rushed from his room to find his sons congregating the living room. Cries of delight on both sides were given up, and Splinter soon found himself being passed from turtle to turtle as his sons were eager to reconnect with their father and teacher.

The final turtle Splinter found himself face-to-face with was his Leonardo.

"Welcome back my son," Splinter told his oldest proudly. "You have done well."

"Thank you sensei," Leo said with a small bow. Then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the floor.

"Leonardo," his father exclaimed. Donny and Donatello gently pushed past their father to look over their brother. After a few moments of frantic examination, the pair suddenly sat back. Raising dejected eyes to his brothers, Donny said softly, "He's gone."


	11. An Ending?

**A/N For those of you who thought you had me figured out, guess again. ;) Just...trust me.**

* * *

"What?!" "No!" Raph and Raphael exclaimed simultaneously.

"My sons, how can this be," Splinter asked, searching his oldest son desperately for physical wounds.

"He was poisoned," Donatello explained. "Apparently when Darktide stung him with that tentacle it injected some sort of poison into his system. My best guess is that's what killed him."

"Why did your brother not tell anyone he'd been poisoned," Splinter asked in a surprised voice, as if Leo had kept the secret just as means of hurting his family.

"To be fair, I don't think Leo knew," Donatello defended his older brother. "We only found out when Darktide was bragging about it while you three were out."

"So what do we do now," Mikey asked distraughtly from where he was seated at Leo's side, a hand gently caressing his brother's shell.

"I…I guess we somehow learn to go on without him," Donny choked out through the tears clogging his throat.

"No."

Everyone turned to look at Raph who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, a mulish expression on his face.

"I'm through kow-towing to fate's whims," he told his family. "I am not some fictional character to be jerked around by some anonymous author's pen. As of right now, I'm taking over this 'narrative,' and writing it MY way." With that, he turned and stalked out of the living room toward his family's set of rooms.

"Raph," Donny called after him, a little uncertain what his brother had planned. "What are you doing?"

"You'll see," Raph called back. He emerged a few minutes later with six meditation candles in hand. As his brothers watched in puzzlement, he arranged them on the floor around Leo's body: one at his head, one at his feet, and two to Leo's right and left. Raph lit the candles then took his place at candle by Leo's head.

"Bro, this is crazy," Mikey told him. "Leo's **dead**."

"He came back once, he can do it again," Raph insisted. "Up 'til now, we've just kind of been bystanders in regard to this power we've been given. Well not anymore. As of this moment, it's going to work for me."

At this fervent statement the Brats looked at each other. After a moment of silent 'discussion,' they took their places to Leo's right. Immediately on their heels Donny and Donatello settled themselves to Leo's left. That left only Raphael, who stood glaring at his brothers with a look of stubborn refusal on his face.

"This is stupid," he told his brothers. "Leo's gone; get over it."

"Raphael, listen to me," Raph said quietly but passionately. I know how hard this is for you. I . But I also know Leo, and there is isn't anything our big brother wouldn't do for us; even come back from the dead again. Besides, wherever he is, I can still feel him; deep down inside a part of him is still connected to us. **The bond remains unbroken**. If he was really gone, it would have dissolved, don't you think? But it hasn't, and we can use it to find him and bring him back."

Raphael considered his twin's words for a moment. "Fine," he conceded. "We'll try this…whatever you want to call it. But don't say I didn't warn you when it doesn't work."

Raphael took his seat at Leo's feet, and all six brothers closed their eyes. Not a word was spoken as each brother searched deep inside himself for that little spark that remained of his bond with Leonardo. All at once, they became aware of a subtle shift in the atmosphere around them. Opening their eyes, the six turtles found themselves standing in a sewer tunnel, both Splinter and Leo's body nowhere to be seen.

"Okay, this is weird," Mikey said, taking in the new locale.

"Ah, young ones, what are you doing here," a voice, familiar at least to the younger half of the family, asked. When they turned to face the speaker, however, she looked far different that she had the last time they had seen her. Instead of white, glowing, amorphous figure, there stood a being that looked to be something of a mixture of a centaur, a winged horse, and a unicorn. The female looked like a white, down covered centaur, with two large angel-like wings, and a small golden horn sprouting from her forehead.

"Madame Bridger," Raph said, bowing politely to the creature. "We apologize for intruding, but we've come to get our brother back."

"But your brother has passed on," the Bridger said softly.

"We know," Raph acknowledged. "But, you see, we can still feel him. He's still bonded to us. That must mean there's still the chance he could come back. Right?"

"That's impossible," the Bridger protested, though in a non-condescending manner. "His bond to you should have been severed when he passed over."

"But it didn't," Donatello said. "Look." He pointed ahead of him and his brothers. There, shining with a pale golden light, was what appeared to be a golden cord, about the diameter of a wooden pencil. The Bridger examined it with apparent surprise.

"As far as I know, this has never happened before," she told the turtles after a few moment of thoughtful scrutiny. "That being the case, I must take the matter before the Council of Light. They will make the decision about what is to be done. I will bring you word when they have reached a verdict. Until then, you six must return to your home; it is not safe for you to be here." And with a wave of her hand the six turtles found themselves back at the Lair.

TMNTTMTN

Two days later the verdict came back: request denied. The council had decided that it would be unfair to drag Leo away from his well-earned eternal rest. Instead, the bond connecting him to his brothers was immediately and irrevocably severed. Feeling like a part of them was missing, the small family sadly set about preparing their brother's funeral.

It took another two days to make the arrangements, but finally the family set off to Casey's farm, where Leo was laid to rest in a hidden grove, deep in the woods. As many of the turtles' friends as could make it were invited. For the next several weeks following the funeral, things around the Lair were a little off. Practice was still held, but only sporadically. No one, not even Master Splinter, seemed to have the heart to do much more than that. Eventually, though, some measure of normality came back into the family's life.

The next big alteration in the family occurred two months after Leo's death. Thanks to a creation of a small intake, large output generator, GT (as in Geek Twins) O'Neil Tech hit the ground running and took the world by storm. Within two months Donny, Donatello, and April had a brand new lab, complete with stare of the art (most of it their own invention), equipment materials to work with. Four months after that Donny and Donatello moved out of the Lair and into a private, upscale, self-designed penthouse downtown. Of course, they invited the whole family to move in with them; they had more than enough room, but the only ones who took them up on the offer were the Brats.

Within no time at all, Mikey and Michelangelo had moved up from being the GT O'Neil's official game testers, to being the joint heads of the entertainment division. This was on top of being _the_ names in the online and subscription gaming communities. Never had two turtles been happier.

Raph remained in the Lair looking after Master Splinter. Following his oldest son's death, the elderly rat's health had seen a drastic decline. The Geeks had later been able to determine that their sensei had suffered a series of minor strokes, leaving his dependent on his adopted son's care. Without Leo around, the seemingly directionless Raph had thrown himself into care for his second father.

As for Raphael, he had continued his vigilante gig. Adopting the persona of "Nightwatcher," and with technical assistance from his two genius brothers, Raphael spent night after night kicking the criminal element's collective tail.

Eventually, however, the family began to drift apart. With more and more responsibilities to take care of in the company, Donny and Donatello rarely made it home to visit their father or older brothers. Mikey and Michelangelo were in such high demand in gaming circles that it was rare for them to even be in New York, though their department in their brother's company never suffered for their absence.

Finally, five years exactly after Leo's death, Splinter's health finally gave in, and he passed away. Raph might have dealt with it better had any of his other brothers, besides Raphael, bothered to show up for the funeral. As it was, only he and his twin and Casey were present to lay the ancient rat to rest in the grove next to Leo. Following Splinter's death, Raphael did his best to consol his twin, but it was as if Raph had lost all interest in life. A week after Splinter's funeral, Raphael came home to find his twin had hung himself in Leo's old room; the very room Leo had attempted to do that same thing all those years ago.

Left alone, Raphael was forced to face how empty his life had become. He tried to reconnect with his siblings, but they just didn't seem to have the time for him anymore. In a last ditch effort to reach out, Raphael called April, badly needing someone to talk to. April didn't get the message until two days later. Frantic at hearing the desperate voice mail, April rushed down to the Lair; but it was too late. She found Raphael lying in Leo old bed, in what had become his second bedroom, his own sai protruding from his chest. Next to him was note that simply said, "I'm sorry. Leo, wait for me."


	12. A Dream is a Wish Or Not

**A/N I told y'all to just trust me. Everything has a way of working out.**

* * *

Raphael awoke with a scream lodged in his throat. The nightmare of what _might_ happen should the Council deny their request had been one of the worst he'd ever had. The only ones to compare to it were the night terrors he'd experienced after Leo's disappearance into their brother's alternate dimension.

The problem was it had been nearly three days since he and his brothers had talked to the Bridger, and they hadn't heard a thing. There was no hint whatsoever whether or not their request was going to be honored, or whether Leo would remain dead. That being the case, Donatello and Donny had placed Leo's body in a jury-rigged chryo-conservation chamber. When Mikey had asked where on earth they had found the information for one of those, the Geeks had just shrugged nonchalantly and said it was simply an idea they'd been tossing around for a while. Raphael was just glad it worked.

Knowing he wasn't going back to sleep, Raphael climbed out of bed and headed for the kitchen. In a totally Leo-esque manner he was craving a soothing cup of herbal tea to help steady his nerves. When he reached the kitchen, he found his twin sitting at the table, a cup of Leo's favorite blend of tea waiting for him.

"Thanks," Raphael murmured as he took a sip of the just-right tea.

"No problem," Raph replied. "I didn't get any of the details, but I could tell you were having one doozey of a nightmare; figured you'd probably need a little something to help you detox afterward."

"It was bad," Raphael told the younger turtle. "Leo stayed dead. The Geeks and the Brats left home to become rich and famous. Sensei died, and both of us committed suicide."

Raph grimaced. "Bad doesn't sound like it covers it," he remarked. "Not that I'm one to talk, though. My nightmares haven't been a whole lot better, except they usually involve me getting one of the rest of you killed, or one of our younger brothers, usually Mikey, killing himself."

Raphael sighed. "I just wish we'd get word one way or the other," he said. "As much as I'm afraid of what the answer will be, a firm negative would be better than not knowing."

"Agreed."

Settling into silence, the brothers drifted away in their own thoughts.

TMNTTMNT

Around three that afternoon, the whole family was gathered, rather morosely, in the living room. The television was on, but no one was paying it any mind. Mikey and Michelangelo were involved in a silent game of Phase 10, but otherwise there was not a whole lot of anything taking place. All of a sudden, the room around the turtles disappeared, and they found themselves in a large, almost cavernous, white chamber. Around the edge of the room were a number of tables, occupied by a large variety of individuals of every shape and color, arranged in the shape of a circle, the middle of which the turtles were standing in. Suddenly, the Bridger appeared before them.

"Welcome to the Council of Light, my young friends," she greeted the brothers. "You have been summoned to hear the decision regarding your petition. As the one known to your family, I have been asked to deliver the Council's ruling. Normally requests to bring individuals back from the dead, save for very special instances, are denied. However, the presence of a still active bond between you and the Avatar Leonardo suggests that this is not a typical situation. Admittedly, the council did consider simply severing the bond, but it has been brought to our attention that such an arbitrary act may not be in the best interest of your family, or your brother. Therefore, the Council has decided to leave the choice up to Leonardo. You will be taken to where he now dwells, and you may present your petition to him directly. If he chooses to return, he will be allowed to do so, his full abilities and calling restored to him. However, should he choose to remain, the connection the six of you have to him will be dissolved, and you will be returned to your world to continue on with your lives. Will you agree to these conditions?"

The brothers looked at each other for only a moment before Raph stepped forward. "We agree," he said.

"Very good," the Bridger replied. "Then let us go to Leonardo."

TMNTTMNT

Leo was not a happy turtle. Even worse, he was a confused, unhappy turtle. The last thing he remembered was reuniting with his father, and then he had awakened here. "Here" was a newer, cleaner, but emptier, Lair. The only ones present were Leo, his younger self, and the alternate version of Master Splinter. When Leo Jr. explained that this time Leo really had died, the older turtle had all but flipped out.

"What the hell are you people playing at," he had yelled at his mostly innocent double. "First you send me back with all sorts of rather unexplained powers and responsibilities, only to let me die in my very first task? And what about my brothers? Who's going to look after them?"

The younger Leo had done his best to calm his older self down, but Leo was beyond soothing. At last Master Splinter had stepped in and suggested hat Leo (the angry, older one), take a page from Raphael's book and take some of his aggression out on the punching bag. Instead, Leo had disappeared into the dojo and hadn't reappeared since. Fortunately, without a physical body or physical needs, he was able to drive himself just as hard as he wanted to. The younger Leo had tried on several occasions to talk to his alternate version, but Leo would just growl at him until he left again.

Finally, several days later, Leo emerged from the dojo. Approaching his visibly tense younger self, he said, "I want to apologize for my behavior the past several…day? I'm still not sure how you measure time here. In any case, it was rude, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay," young Leo said. "It's completely understandable. If death hadn't been such a relief for me, I probably would have responded the same way. Even then, it didn't make it any easier leaving my brothers behind, especially once Master Splinter arrived, and I knew they were alone. After that, once I gained permission to keep an eye on my family, it was a little easier, but it still hurts."

"No kidding," Leo joked, rubbing his chest. "It's like I can feel all their emotions sitting right here on my chest, and they're not pleasant." That's when he saw the odd look on his twin's face. "What is it?"

"Ah, actually, you are still feeling their emotions because, by some weird trick of fate, your empathic bond with your brothers wasn't severed when you died," the younger ghost said.

"But, what does that mean," Leo asked.

"We're not sure," the other turtle replied. "Especially since your brothers were able to follow the connection into the inter-world; the place between life and death. The Bridger intercepted them, and the Council is meeting to determine what to do about the situation."

"Don't I have any say in this," Leo demanded.

"Afraid not."

"But—"

"Listen, 'big bro,' these things have a way of working out to everyone's benefit," the younger turtle reassured him. "You just have to trust that the Council knows what it is doing."

TTTT

So Leo had spent several days like his brothers; in tense suspension. His alternate self and the other Master Splinter did their best to keep him occupied, but there was no denying that Leo was only humoring them out of civility and because his honor demanded it. However, even Leo's patience has a breaking point, and he had about reached it. He was ready to explode at the slightest provocation, when his younger self suddenly brought word from the Council.

"The decision has been made," the other turtle announced. "You will be given the opportunity to choose. If you want, you will be allowed to return with your brothers, or you may choose to remain here. At this moment the Bridger is bringing your family here to present the full case to you."

Leo was instantly elated. At last, he would be able to go home. But then he noticed the distracted, almost distressed, look on his alternate's face. "Are you okay," he asked.

"I…it's just, this will be the first time I will have been around my brothers when they could see me, too," he admitted. "I'm not sure how that…confrontation is going to go."

Leo smiled and placed a gentle hand on his double's shoulders. "It won't be that bad," he reassured him. "These are our brothers after all. You may have died, but they still love you. Everything else is just details."

"Let's hope they see it that way."

TMNTTMNT

Leo (the older one), was all but humming with tension by the time his family arrived. The equine Bridger led them into the replicated Lair, and only had just enough time to get out of the way before Leo and his brothers did a mutual pounce. Mikey and Michelangelo were the first to get to Leo, and they knocked him to the ground in their enthusiasm. Leo didn't care; he just held on tight as the two youngest attempted to burrow into his skin. Once he was able to detach them, he immediately found himself with a double armful of Geeks. The second youngest brothers, for once putting aside their more typical reticence, were nearly as bad as the Brats about trying to get as close as physically possible, especially since they didn't technically have physical bodies.

At last it came time to face Raph and Raphael. Facing his best friends, Leo wasn't sure what to do or say; he'd missed Raph and Raphael more than he'd ever thought possible. Raph solved the problem for him. In a gesture that had become "theirs," he lifted a hand and cupped his brother's face. Tears silently broke out as he realized his brother was _really_ there. Every so gently, Leo pulled his younger brother into a tight embrace.

"Shh, it's okay, bro," he whispered. "I'm here. Everything is going to be all right."

Once Raph had calmed enough to step away, it was Raphael's turn. The two best friends/fierce rivals considered each other silently for a moment. Then, as if on some sort of silent, pre-arranged cue, they found their arms wrapped around each other. The embrace was fierce. Tears ran down both their faces as they each luxuriated in just the _feeling_ of the other being there. Finally, the brother's moved apart, though it must be noted that Raphael never quite got out of touching distance of his brother.

"Now that the 'hellos' have been said," the Bridger teased good-naturedly, "I believe we have some business to conduct. Leonardo, your brothers have come to petition you to return with them to the living world. Now, before you answer, I am compelled to clarify what that will entail. First, you body was badly damaged by the darkside poison. If we return you to it, we will remove enough of the poison that it will not immediately kill you again. However, you will face the rather painful recovery process as you heal from its effects. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the poison, your connection with your brothers will not assist you much in your recuperation. Secondly, you will once again be endowed with the mantle of Avatar, which means you will always face the possibility that another Destroyer could find you and attack your family. Likewise, receptacle for the Dark will be drawn to you, also placing you and your family at risk.

On the other hand, if you remain here, you will live a pain-free existence. You will be allowed to watch over your brothers as their specially assigned 'protector.' You will also find that there are world without number for you to explore in this realm of existence. And as your family met their eventual fates, they would, of course, be brought to join you here."

Leo considered the Bridger's words for a moment, giving them the proper consideration due them. After a few moments he said, "While I appreciate the offer, and I recognize the tribulations I will be taking on myself, I belong home with my family. I feel I still have a destiny to fulfill, and it's not here. Therefore, I choose to go home; back to life."

"Very well," the Bridger said with a small smile. "I am actually not surprised; your devotion to your brothers is one of your defining features. I had very few doubts this would be your decision. Anyway, that being decided, let's get all of you ba—"

"Wait, please," Leo interrupted. "I do a boon to ask."

"Go ahead," the Bridger said.

"There is someone here who has some unfinished business," he said. "I just want him to have the chance to resolve it while the opportunity is before him."

A look of total understanding on her face, the Bridger nodded. "Boon granted."

Moving away from his brothers, Leo moved to a dark corner of the room. It was apparent that someone was concealed there, but the others couldn't quite make out who it was. After some quiet, but intense conversation, Leo turned back to his family.

"Mikey, Donny, Raph, there's someone who desperately wishes to speak you," he told his younger brothers. He stepped out of the way, and the three younger turtles' jaws dropped.

"Leo," the asked in unison.


	13. Death Never Shall Part

**A/N Okay, hopefull this chapter makes sense. My brain is feeling slightly off kilter tonight for some reason. :) In any case, hope you enjoy this.**

* * *

For nearly a whole minute Leonardo and his brothers just stood staring at each other, all of them at a loss as to what to say. Shaking his head at his brothers' unnecessary reticence, Leo decided to give the younger turtles a little privacy. Besides, the younger Leo wasn't the only turtle who had brothers in need of some reconnecting.

For his part, the young ghost just stood taking in his brothers' appearances. Sure he'd been able to see them pretty much whenever he had wanted to, but something about those visitations had been lacking in substance, almost as if they had merely been dreams. To see his brothers here and in the flesh (so to speak) was beyond description. He was delighted to see just how well they looked. Not only had they matured in the time he'd been gone, but it was clear they'd gotten stronger as well. All in all, they were the best thing he'd seen in a long time.

There's no telling how long the brothers might have stood there. But Mikey took care of that. Without warning, he simply launched himself at Leo, who returned the embrace just as fervently as it was given.

"I've missed you, bro," Mikey whispered to his older brother. "You have no idea how much."

"I think I do," Leo replied. "There hasn't been a day since I died that I haven't thought about you and the others."

At last, Mikey stepped back. He gave his original older brother his patented grin, but the effect was rather ruined by the tears in his eyes. With a gentle smile in return, Leo kept an arm around his youngest brother's shoulders and turned to face his other two brothers. Although neither made a move to touch him, the smiles on their faces let him know they had missed him just as much as Mikey. Leo was about to speak to them, when he noticed the attention the four of them were getting from the other half of the family.

"Why don't we take this into the dojo," he suggested. "I, at least, would be a little more comfortable having this discussion away from curious eyes." He watched with some small measure of envy as Raph looked back to meet the older Leo's eyes, almost as if asking his opinion, if not permission, before indicating the Leo should lead them on.

Once in the privacy of the dojo, the four brothers settled themselves on the floor. Mikey sat to Leo's right, while Donny and Raph sat across from them. Leo couldn't help noticing the Raph placed himself as far away from his older brother as possible. Trying to ignore his hurt, Leo said, "I…I just want to begin by saying how wonderful it is to see you three again. I have missed you terribly. It's been very lonely here."

"Hasn't Master Splinter been here with you," Donny asked in mild alarm.

"Yes," Leo conceded. "But our father's presence is no compensation for losing my three best friends. Even if I was allowed to drop in on you whenever I felt like it."

"I knew it," crowed Mikey. "I knew I kept seeing you around the Lair after you…were gone. The 'Doubting Thomases' over here didn't believe me when I told them, but I knew it was really you."

Leo gave his younger brother a look of total surprise. "I caught you looking at me several times, but I thought it was merely coincidence," he admitted. "I wanted so badly to try and communicate, but I was afraid of how badly it would hurt if I had failed."

Mikey wrapped an arm around his brother. "I don't think that's going to be a problem anymore," he told Leo.

"But I'm not—"Leo started to protest, not wanting his younger brother to get the wrong idea, but Mikey cut him off.

"I know you're not coming back with us," he said. "But with this empathy thing we've got going on, I think it's going to be a good bit easier to sense when you're around, so I'll actually be able to communicate. Hey, maybe you can just move into the Lair and become the resident ghost. That would be totally cool!"

Leo had to laugh at his brother's familiar enthusiasm. "I'll think about it," he said, only half jokingly; after all, it did get _extremely_ lonely around this place. Donny and Raph, he noticed however, didn't seem to be joining in on the lighthearted attitude. "Bros, what is it," he asked them. "What can I do to make you forgive me?"

"What happened to you," Donny asked coolly, his gaze serious.

"Donny—"

"No," Donny cut his oldest brother off. "Raph told us about finding your body, but that doesn't tell me what happened to _you_. I…we need to know, Leo. All we know is that you disappeared and never came back, and we were alone for two years; the worst two years of our lives."

Leo dropped his brother's gaze. "It's not a pretty story," he told his siblings. "In fact, I try not to think about it too hard if I can help it."

"Please, Leo," Donny pleaded. "If we're going to work through this, we need to know what happened."

Leo took an unnecessary, though habitual, deep breath. "All right," he conceded. "You all remember the fight between Raph and I, and how I left the Lair? Well, my intention was simply to head to April's place to get some air, maybe talk things over with her for a while. Except I never made it that far. I found Saki's goons scouring the sewers. They were a little too close to the Lair, so I let them spot me, and I led them away from home. I was only planning on getting the away from our section of the sewers, and then losing them, but it turned out there were more of them than I had realized. Before I knew it, _I_ was the one being herded into an ambush.

After about the fifth wave of Foot ninjas, I lost count. They just kept coming and coming, eventually wearing me down. I mean, come on; at the time I was only fourteen (1), so it didn't take long. By the time I couldn't lift my swords one more time, Saki showed up. He wouldn't let his ninjas kill me. Instead I was taken to Foot Headquarters. Saki then set about torturing me in as many ways as he could devise. Take what your new Leo just underwent, and multiply it by six months. In the end, I was ready for death. After all, Saki had taken my eyes, my left hand, and had all but stripped me of my shell. The only thing that kept me hanging on that long was my determination to keep you, my family safe. Every time Saki would introduce a new torture, he'd offer me an out if I'd just tell him where the Lair was; of course I wasn't going to do that. In the end he challenged me to a rather dishonorable duel, seeing as how I couldn't see, I only had one working hand, and he had all the weapons, including my katanas. I swear, I tried my hardest, but it was no use. When Saki plunged my own swords into my back, it was almost a relief. He may have killed me, but I had ultimately won, because he never got any of you. As far as I was concerned, that was all that mattered."

By this point there wasn't a dry eye in the room, but Leo kept pushing on. "It was hard, watching all of you hoping in vane for my return. And then Raph found what was left of my body; I can't describe how sorry I am you had to see that, bro. Watching you slowly falling apart, especially after everything I did in an effort to keep you safe, was the worst pain I've every felt; nothing Saki ever did to me could top it. That's when I made the petition to the Council. I begged them to, please, do something to ease your distress. When the Bridger brought the other Leo to you, it was exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for as all of you healed each other."

Raising his eyes, to meet those of each of his brothers, Leo said sincerely, "I'm so sorry I let you down. And I'm sorry for the pain my disappearance caused the family. I never meant to get myself killed. I hope you can forgive me."

"Leo, you idiot," Donny choked out, moving to hug his older brother. "There's no need to apologize; especially not for protecting your family. Yes, we missed you, and yes, it hurt that you were gone. But the thought of you undergoing that experience all on your own breaks my heart. And never say you're sorry for loving your family enough to die for them. It cheapens the emotion and makes a mockery of what we feel for each other. But, since I know you need to hear it anyway, I forgive you, bro. And I love you; that never stopped. Even with the new family in our lives, no will ever take your place."

"Thank you," Leo whispered softly through his tears as he just held his second youngest brother tighter. He had needed to hear words from his brother. Now, if only Raph were willing to be so forgiving.

"You're still my hero, bro," Donny told him. "Nothing has ever, or will ever, change that."

After a few moments, Donny released Leo and, with a troubled glance toward the silent Raph, grabbed Mikey by the arm to drag him away from the two older turtles. Leo tried to catch his younger brother's gaze, but Raph refused to return his look, choosing instead to focus on anything but his older brother. Sorrow filled Leonardo as he misinterpreted his brother's behavior.

"I…I'm sorry Raph," he stuttered uncertainly. "I never meant to hurt you like this. I especially never meant to make you hate me this much."

"What," Raph exclaimed, suddenly making eye contact with his seriously remorseful looking older brother. "Leo, no. I don't hate you. I never hated you."

"Then, if you don't hate me, why can't you bring yourself to even look at me," Leo asked in a pained voice.

"Because, of the two of us, it's you who should be hating me," Raph admitted. "It's my fault you left the Lair that night and got caught. If I hadn't said that horrible thing that night, Saki never would have caught you, or tortured you, or even killed you. And then I went and replaced you like you didn't even matter."

"Oh, Raph," Leo said in an achingly tender voice. "I always knew you never meant what you said that night. You are, or at least were, my best friend, even when we were fighting. Of course I knew you were just blowing off steam that night. And if it hadn't been me that night, it might have been you or one of the others the next night, or the following week. All in all, I prefer events as they played out."

"But I hurt you when I said it," Raph argued, refusing to even dignify his brother's acceptance of death with a response. It was something both Leo's had a tendency towards; a tendency Raph was determined to break his new older brother of once and for all, now that it had gotten him killed twice.

"It hurt, yes," Leo admitted, "but only for a moment. And I only left to give you time to cool off without me in your face. We both know that never was conducive to either of us getting our tempers in check."

"So…so you never resented me for what I did and said that night," Raph asked in astonishment.

"Never," Leo confirmed. Raph chose that moment to fling his arms around his big brother.

"I never resented you for dying," he whispered to his best friend. "I saw what was left of you, and I knew you would have held on as long as you could. If there had been anyway for you to come back, you would have. The true blame belongs with Saki, and your twin took care of him for us. Besides, you still managed to look after us by making the arrangements that brought your twin into our lives, and by extension our new family."

"Raph, about you and your new older brother," Leo said hesitantly a few minutes later, not sure he wanted to bring up the minute jealousy he felt as he watched his best friend in a new relationship, especially now that they had just worked out their old issues.

"Leo, I love my new brother with all my heart, and he is the new best friend I desperately needed; but he's not you," Raph said. "He fills an empty space in me, but it's not your space. I love you, big brother, and nothing and no one will ever change that. And guess what; there's room enough for both of you."

Leo smiled his understanding, and the brothers increase the fervency of their embrace. He hadn't lost his best friend; he was just sharing him, and that was something Leo could do. All of a sudden, Leo could feel two new sets of arms wrap around him and Raph as Mikey and Donny joined the hug. For an indeterminate amount of time, the brothers just stayed like that, simply soaking up the love and affection of a brother that had been missing for far too long.

* * *

**(1) For those of you who are wondering if this is correct, in my first story, Donny, Mikey and Raph were only sixteen. Their Leo had been missing for two years, so he would have been only fourteen when he Saki nabbed him.**


	14. Healing Begins

**A/N Sorry it has take me so long to update (at least, long for me). I'm getting ready for my big "Final Test" for my master's degree, so I'm rather preoccupied getting ready for that, escpecially since I have to take it on the 20th. In any case, I haven't forgotten this story (nor the two to three ideas I have for follow ups in this series), it's just going to take me a little longer to get them posted. Just have patience, and they'll get there. Anyway, enough of my blathering. Hope you enjoy this.**

* * *

After Donny, Mikey, and Raph were done making things right with their deceased older brother, including a pleasurable reunion with their father as well, they all returned back to the living room of this alternate Lair where the rest of the family was waiting.

"Excuse me," Donatello said as the rest of the family rejoined them. "Madame Bridger? I had a quick question before you send us all back. You said that Leo would still have to overcome the remainder of the darkside poison's effects. Just what are they? I mean, if we're going to help Leo any, we'll need to know what we'll be facing."

"As I said, there will be very little you'll be able to do," the Bridger replied. "What the darkside poison did to your brother's body was convince it that he was still suffering from all his old wounds; the ones he gained during his trial. Since those injuries by themselves were life threatening, even without your brother choosing to give up his life, once his adrenaline rush following his battle with Darktide had run its course, his body just gave out on him. What the Council has done is removed the poisonous element itself. However, although your brother will not actually be injured, his body will feel and respond like it is. Eventually the effects will wear off, but he is going to be in considerable pain until then."

"And I accept that," Leo interposed before his brothers could begin to second guess their request. "After all, I'll eventually heal. Besides, I haven't been beat up in a while; I'm beginning to feel like something's not quite right," he added with a smirk.

"So not funny, bro," Michelangelo snapped, scowling at his brother.

Leo placed an apologetic hand on his younger sibling's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said, instantly contrite.

"Just…just don't joke about that, Leo," Michelangelo said. "Not even I can find anything funny about it."

"You got it," Leo promised.

"Okay, okay," Raphael said impatiently. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Very well," Bridger said. "I will send you, Leo's brothers, back first. As soon as you have him removed from your chryo chamber, Leo will be sent back to his body. Good luck my friends."

TTTT

An instant later, the six turtles found themselves once more in their living room. Without breaking stride, Donny and Donatello disappeared upstairs into Leo's old room, which was where they had stored the chryo pod; Raph and Raphael, as the two strongest brothers, quickly followed behind them. The Brats immediately moved to their Sensei's side.

"He's coming back," Mikey exclaimed. "Leo's coming back!"

Splinter's eyes filled with tears. This third loss of his oldest son, fourth if you counted Leo's giving himself to Saki just over a week before, had hit him hard. He had begun to despair at ever seeing his son alive again. Just then, a clatter from the stairs pulled his attention away. He looked up to see the four older turtles carrying the chryo chamber down from the upstairs bedroom.

"My sons, what are you doing?"

"Well, it's kinda like this, sensei," Michelangelo explained, his voice atypically solemn as his brothers moved toward Leo's new room. This unusually serious side of his typically light-hearted son disturbed the elderly Ninja Master. "Leo's coming back," Michelangelo continued, "but the Council said they couldn't fix _everything_. He's gonna be okay, but he's gonna be in some pain. See, he still has to get over all the stuff that poison did to his body. It's not going to be fun, but he will get better."

The news made the aged rat's heart hurt. Hadn't his son, no, his sons, been hurt enough? Leo had paid his dues in pain already, as had the rest of the family in watching their beloved brother suffer. When would his beloved oldest and his siblings finally be granted a reprieve?

"Father, are you coming," Michelangelo asked from the doorway between the main part of the Lair and the younger turtles' suite. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Splinter turned and followed his sons into Leo's room. Once there, the Brats and their father were forced to remain outside the bedroom as the Geeks, with Raph and Raphael's assistance, manhandled the heavy pod open, and pulled Leo's unmoving body from it. Very carefully they maneuvered Leo onto his bed, tucking him in as if he was simply sleeping rather than lifeless. They had no sooner finished smoothing the blanket down, when Leo suddenly gasped, sucking in a huge breath of air. At the noise, the three family members still outside the crowded chamber pushed their way in to the crowded room to also gather around the bed. After a few moments of simply breathing deeply, Leo finally was able to open his eyes. He gave his family a small, heartfelt smile, and then drifted off quietly to sleep. He was back; everything was going to be okay.

TMNTTMNT

The next two weeks were absolute hell. Leo hadn't slept very long that first day back; agony had forced him from his sleep only half an hour after he fell asleep. From the moment on, he had been in perpetual pain. Leo was absolutely miserable, for about the only place that didn't hurt was the bottom of his feet. From his head to his feet he felt like one big bruise, thanks to his beating at Hun's hands, in addition to two ribs he hadn't realized at the time were bruised. Michelangelo, upon hearing just how badly his brother had been hurt was overheard wishing he could rip Hun apart with his bare hands. Splinter assured him that Leatherhead had, literally, done just that, to which the young turtle had simply said, "Good."

Donatello's fear, that once again his older brother would lose his eyesight, had proven false, but that didn't mean Leo escaped completely. Although he didn't lose the ability to see, he might as well have done so, for his eyes once again burned like Saki had just placed those drops in his eyes. Additionally, Leo's body continually twitched as he once again relived the violent mutations cause by the experimental agent Saki had injected into him in that final round of torture.

Worst of all, nothing his brothers did could alleviate Leo's torment. The Geeks had tried pain relievers, one after another, and nothing worked. If they were lucky, they simply didn't touch the pain. If they weren't, they made Leo sick to his stomach. The only things he seemed able to keep down were his herbal teas and very bland foods. Any sort of pressure on his hyper-sensitive skin likewise caused incredible pain, so even the comfort of his brothers' touch was denied to the oldest turtle. Yet through it all, not once did Leo regret his choice to return. Even in the middle of his worst times, his pleasure in back with his family offset the anguish he was forced to endure. His brothers, conversely, were not nearly as blasé about his suffering as he was.

One day, after a particularly bad bout, Donatello murmured forlornly under his breath, "Ah, bro, I would give my right arm if I could stop this."

To which Leo had lightheartedly replied, "Given what I did to let you keep your hands right where they are, I'd appreciate if you didn't go wishing them away."

Donatello lost all the color in his face, and he whirled on his brother in fury. "That was not even close to humorous," he hissed. "How dare you make light of…of **that**. Do you know what it was like for me, watching you lie there in pain and…and unable to do anything about it? It was killing me, Leo. I never wanted you to…to…to suffer like that for me."

"Don—"Leo said regretfully, but his brother just ignored him.

"If Saki had taken my hands, it would have hurt, but it wouldn't have been the end of the world. I would still have my mind, my ability to think, and Donny would have been around to act as my hands. Besides, with him, April and me working together, we probably could have created some sort of cyborg replacements. Instead, I could only watch as you were hurt in my place once again. I think if Shredder had ripped my still beating heart out of my chest it would have hurt less than watching you lie there suffering like you were, on my behalf, as you were slowly going blind. And though you will probably deny it, you were terrified, and somehow that was even worse. I never wanted to experience anything like that again, but here we are. So don't you dare make jokes about it." Donatello turned his back to his brother, too upset to even look at him.

"Donatello," Leo said sharply as his brother looked obdurately in the opposite direction. "Look at me!"

Donatello looked in his brother's direction. "What," he asked surly.

"No, I want you to 'look' at me," Leo reproved. "Look me in the eyes." He waited until Donatello did so before continuing. "My eyes are fine, bro," he said in a softer voice. "Yes, they burn like the dickens, and yes my body feels like I tried to use it to stop the five o'clock train, but _I will be okay_. I get a little bit better every day. And don't you ever, ever tell me not to stand up for my brothers. I will always be willing to die for you and the others as necessary."

"But we don't want you dead," Donatello all but yelled. "We want you alive and with us. Why do you think we so blindly tried to follow our connection to where you were? Because we need you here. You can't just keep throwing your life away for us."

Leo considered his brother for a long moment. Then a look of comprehension crossed his face as his brother's emotions washed through him. "Donatello, come here," he ordered softly. His brother shook his head stubbornly. "Donatello, I will get off this bed and come to you if you don't get your butt over here this instant," Leo warned, reaching for the edge of the sheet draped lightly over him; he had finally reached the point he could stand the light covering on his sensitive skin.

"What," Donatello asked tersely as he sat on in the edge of the bed. Sitting himself up, Leo grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him into a gentle embrace, his brother's head tucked under his chin. Donatello tried to shake off his brother's hold, but Leo refused to let go. Finally Donatello just stopped fighting and allowed his brother to simply hold him. As the fight went out of him, the tears began to fall, much to Donatello's surprise.

"It's okay, bro," Leo whispered softly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. And it's okay if you're angry. You have every right to be. I apologize for making fun of the situation; I just wanted to lighten the mood a little bit. So, go ahead, cry if you need. Hell, scream at me if it will make you feel better."

Donatello burrowed in closer to his brother. The dam holding back his emotions finally gave way, and everything began to pour out. "I was so scared," he whispered. "When I walked in and you were…were chained up, and so badly beaten like that. And then Saki presented that horrible choice. I'm embarrassed to admit my first, selfish thought was how I couldn't lose my hands because I need them too much. Then I realized I could get by without them. But, your eyes; what would you do if you couldn't see? It would have killed you to be blind, to be unable to look out for us. But you didn't think about yourself; you thought only about me.

As I watched you suffer, it was tearing me up. I couldn't do anything except sit there, holding onto you and watching you go blind. And still you did what _you_ could to reassure _me_. You were suffering, but I was the one being comforted. What kind of brother does the make me? And…and then Saki brought out that whip. The first time he struck you and you…you screamed. I've never heard anyone or anything make a sound like it, at least not until Shredder gave you that poison; it's a sound I hope I never hear again. I'm ashamed to admit, I couldn't look. You were being tortured in my place, and I turned away and didn't watch."

At that confession, the sobs came even harder for Leo's brother. Leo simply tightened his hold, gently rubbing his brother's shell and broadcasting supportive emotions to his brother until the storm receded. Once Donatello had calmed down, Leo said, "Bro, I want you to listen to me. There was no way in this good Earth that I was going to let Saki get anywhere near you. Did I want to lose my eyesight? Heck no, but I wasn't planning on getting out of there alive, remember? That being the case, what did it matter if I couldn't see? But I wasn't going to let him mutilate my little brother. As for being scared, yes, I was. But I was also comforted by the fact that you were there. It would have been so much worse if you hadn't been, because then I would have been worrying that Saki was hurting you anyway, on top of the pain my eyes were causing. Besides, you made the pain bearable. And if you need to hear it, I forgive you for your so-called selfish fears at the thought of having your hands amputated, even though there is nothing really to forgive. It was a natural reaction; stop beating yourself up over it.

Now, as for not watching while Saki was using that whip, I'm glad. That is not something I would ever have wanted you to see. The humiliation was bad enough, but being forced to crawl in front of you was even worse. It's better for both of us that you didn't see that. It's not a memory you need, and it's certainly not something I want you to remember."

As Leo's voice trailed off, Donatello just continued to lay against his brother's plastron, the reassuring sound of Leo's heart pumping beneath his ear doing as much as his words to sooth him. Leo was alive; he was here, and soon he would be completely well again. Saki and Darktide hadn't won; rather, they'd gotten their butts kicked. Still, Donatello could only be humbled by the love his big brother had just for him. It was mind-boggling to think that, had the threat been to him alone, with none of their other brothers involved, Leo would have made the same choice. Leo would give his life for any one of his brothers; an even, one-for-one trade. It was nearly incomprehensible for the genius.

Wrapping his arms around his older brother, Donatello declared, "I love you Leo. The words are too simple to describe just how I feel toward you, but they are the best I have. You are my hero. And thank you; thank you for loving me, too, even when I don't feel like I deserve it."

"You're my brother, Don," Leo replied simply, as if that explained it all, his love shining brightly through their bond. And it did, Donatello thought. They were brothers; enough said.


	15. Younger Brothers

**A/N More healing. But this may be the last chapter I get up for a couple of days. I have lots and lots of studying to do. Hopefully I will be able to get the next chapter up by the end of the week. Oy, I'll be gland when this exam it done. Well, enough about me; the boys are waiting.**

* * *

Following Donatello's meltdown, Leo made it a point to keep a closer eye on his younger brothers. It was clear they all had issues regarding their recent experience they needed to get out of their systems, if Don was anything to go by, and Leo wasn't about to let the situation get too far out of hand before he did something about it. Fortunately, his self-appointed task became easier as his ability to move about the Lair increased. Only two days after Donatello's breakdown, Leo was permitted to leave his room for the first time since arriving home. Of course, he was only allowed to go as far as the couch in the living room, but after two weeks of nothing but his own four walls to look at, Leo was glad even for that small change of scenery.

As he sat in the living room, supposedly watching the television, Leo kept a surreptitious eye on his siblings as they went through their daily routines. Donatello was looking better, though he still got a rather haunted look in his eyes whenever he looked at Leo and didn't think the older turtle was aware. Donny, on the other hand, although it wasn't as obvious, was still looking shell-shocked. Leo decided to talk to his second genius brother as soon as possible. With Donny's empathic connection to his twin, it made sense that the other bo-wielding turtle would be suffering some residual problems, in addition to his own emotional baggage.

The Brats, on first glance, didn't appear much affected at all. Only because he was so accustomed to reading his brothers' body language was Leo able to tell that something was off with the youngest pair of turtles. Given the Brats' history, Leo suspected they were suffering from nightmares, especially given they had taken to sharing the same bed at night rather than sleeping alone. Ah, well, once he got the Genius sorted out, he'd tackle the Brats. If only he could sneak out of bed without his watchdog, A.K.A Raph, catching him.

Speaking of Raph, the pair of second oldest turtles were, of course, going to be Leo's biggest challenge. Although Raph had said he understood the necessity of his brother's acceptance of destiny, even if that fate ended in death, well, that was something very different from watching said brother be tortured and die right before your very eyes. And if Raph was having a hard time dealing with it, Raphael was flat out refusing to even acknowledge it had taken place. In fact, unless forced to by circumstances, or his brothers, Raphael didn't have a whole lot to do with his older brother. Not that Leo could blame him; the pain and fear still radiating off his next younger brother was enough to steal Leo's breath whenever he caught a sense of it floating across their bond. Yep, dealing with Raph and Raphael was going to have to wait until Leo was completely healed, mainly because Leo figured he'd have to kick his brothers' butts to convince them to let go of their fear and anger.

With that decided, Leo set his plan into motion. The first step was to arrange time alone with Donny; easily done with Donatello's help, and that afternoon Donny was sent by himself to examine his older brother to check his progress.

"How's it looking, bro," Leo asked once Donny was done with his examination.

"Pretty good, actually," Donny said. "I'd say you are about 85 percent back to normal. A few more days like this, and you'll be as good as new."

"Thanks to you, Donatello, and the others," Leo said, giving his younger brother a potential opening; Donny took it.

"Yes, well, it's been about the only help I've been able to offer in this whole affair," Donny said rather morosely.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Leo said. "What kind of talk is this? You've been a huge help, bro."

"Sure, I stood around while Saki tortured you directly, and our alternate selves indirectly," Donny muttered with self-disgust. "_That_ sure helped a lot. Oh, and let's not forget how I got kidnapped by Darktide, thereby drawing you into yet another ambush that likewise led to your death."

"Donatello," Leo snapped, catching his brother's attention with the unusual use of his full name. "First of all, you didn't just 'stand around.' You looked after our brother, your twin. That is exactly what I needed you to do. He needed you, and I think you know that. So why don't we stop pussy footing around the subject, and you can just tell me what's really bothering you."

"You really want to know," Donny snarled. "Fine, I'll tell you. Once again my big brother, my hero if you will, was tortured to death to protect us, his brothers, and there wasn't a shell of a thing I could do about it! And unlike our twins, Mikey, Raph and I were forced to be outside observers through the whole thing. It was like it was happening all over again."

Comprehension suddenly dawned for Leo. "By 'it' you mean your Leo's disappearance, don't you," he asked gently. "He was tortured to death, too, and there was nothing you were able to do to prevent it."

Donny just nodded, tears streaming unheeded from his eyes. "I…I insisted he tell us what happened to him, and all I could think as I listened was 'it could have been you, our new big brother.' Since then, I have been so angry at both of you; for your selflessness and your bloody overprotective streak. Shell, for the courage it takes to knowingly do what both of you did. Leo, I can't do this any more. I lost one big brother, and I almost lost my second one. I just don't have the strength to face that again."

Leo stepped up and wrapped his younger brother in a hug. Donny leaned tiredly against his big brother's plastron. "I can't promise I will stop trying to protect you guys," Leo said, his voice gentle. "That's just how I'm made. But I do promise that I will never again willing give into death. If it wants me, death will have one shell of a fight on its hands. Besides, something tells me that with these lovely new abilities I've been given, courtesy of becoming an Avatar, I, and in fact all of us, have just become a lot harder to kill. As far as promises go, that's the best I can do. The question is, can you live with that?"

Donny considered what his brother had said. Could he live with Leo promising, not to stop protecting his brothers, but to fight for his life no matter what? Knowing his brother like he did, Donny knew that was the best he was going to get. "Yeah, I think I can live with that," he said sincerely. "But I'm going to hold you to it."

"Deal," Leo said, tightening his embrace just a bit. "By the way, I think you should talk to your twin. It would probably do you both a lot of good. And anytime you need a shoulder to cry on, or someone just to yell at…"

"I'll know where you're at," Donny replied, finally smiling a little. "Thanks, big brother."

"Anytime," Leo responded. "Love you."

"Love you too."

TMNTTMNT

The next night, since Leo was doing so much better, Raph was released from watchdog duty, which meant Leo could tackle the next item on his agenda: the Brats. After his talk with Donny the day before, he had asked how the two youngest turtles were holding up. Donny had confirmed that both were suffering from nightmares, which is why they had been bunking together since their return home. Well, if Leo had anything to do with it, hopefully the nightmares would be put mostly to rest after tonight.

Rather than trying guess when the Brats were having their nightmares, Leo simply tuned his empathy into the Brats' "frequency" before going to bed. It worked like a charm. About one in the morning he was pulled from his sleep by the sense of Michelangelo's distress. Although still a little stiff, Leo was able to make his way out of his room, through the living room, and up to Michelangelo's room without too much difficulty.

Cautiously entering his younger brother's room (it never paid to just barge into either Brat's room; you never knew what you were going to step on in the dark), Leo made his way to the bed. There were the Brats, tightly wrapped around each other; both of them were whimpering. Leo couldn't tell just who was having the nightmare. It was obvious, however, that both were suffering because of it. Placing a gentle hand on either brother's shoulder, Leo whispered loudly, "Mikey, Michelangelo, wake up!" He accompanied this with a little shake.

The two younger turtles' eyes flew open in alarm.

"Easy there," Leo soothed, moving to where his brothers could see him. "It's okay. It's me, Leo. You're awake now."

"Leo," Michelangelo asked drowsily. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you two were having some crazy nightmares," he said. "I thought maybe I could help."

Michelangelo dropped his gaze to his bedspread. "Go back to bed, bro, before Raph finds out you're gone. We'll be all right," he said curtly.

Leo reached out and tipped his brother's head back. Even by the dim light produced by the nightlight it was clear the younger turtle had massive bags under his eyes. "Yeah, I can see just how 'all right" you are," Leo chided gently. "Besides, Raph is sound asleep in his own bed. So, it's just the three of us. Want to share just what you were dreaming about?"

"No," Michelangelo said shortly.

"Fine, then I'll just have to guess," Leo said, settling himself on the bed next to Mikey. "Let's see, I'm betting your dream involves Hun." Leo noted the minutes shiver that passed through both of his brothers. Encouraged, he continued. "I'm betting there's some violence, too. Like Hun attacking someone."

"He wasn't just 'attacking' you," Michelangelo exclaimed, glowering at his brother. "That was a…a thrashing. He methodically, and yes, I do know what the word means, thank you very much, beat you from head to foot. Except in my dream, it doesn't stop with Hun just leaving you bruised. By the time the dream it done, I can't even recognize you anymore. All that's left is…is a pulverized, bloody figure just hanging in thin air. All I do is just sit there and watch. I never make a move to help; I just calmly watch as he pounds you into hamburger."

"Michelangelo, it was just a dream," Leo said, deliberately bating his younger brother.

"But it wasn't," the younger turtle retorted angrily. "Okay, maybe it wasn't as severe in real life, but all same, I just stood by while Hun beat the shell out of you. I wasn't tied down or anything, or locked in the other room like Mikey; why didn't I at least try to help? I should have done something." By now the anger had to turned to tears.

Leo squeezed himself between the Brats and wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders. Drawing them in to him he said, "I want you to listen very carefully, okay bros? You did nothing wrong that day. Michelangelo, there was nothing you could have done. If you had tried to attack Hun, he simply would have knocked you out of the way and kept on hurting me. That's the way it was meant to go. As it was, I was simply glad I could protect you from being hurt like that; Hun was going to break your legs, and possibly your back, over my dead body."

"Yeah, well, it almost was that, wasn't it," Michelangelo said cynically.

"Nowhere even close," Leo countered. He then turned his attention to his second brother. "As for you, Mikey, you did exactly right. You were there for your twin, supporting him just as I hoped you would."

"That was horrible, bro," Mikey said softly, laying his head on Leo's shoulder. As the strongest empathy in the family he'd already connected with his brother's emotions, and as far as he was concerned, all was forgiven, even if it couldn't be forgotten just yet. "We couldn't see what was going on, but we could hear it. And I kept getting slight flashes from Michelangelo." He shuddered. "We…we tried to use our bond to comfort you, but you had us blocked. In a way, that was almost as bad."

"I'm sorry about that," Leo said. "Unfortunately, I had nothing to do with that. It seems the 'powers that be' decided it would be safer if Darktide didn't know about our connection until my trial was over. Still, I'm glad you didn't have to feel any of what I was experiencing."

"Well I'm not," Michelangelo cried out, recapturing his brother's attention. "That's what your brothers are for, Leo. You're not the only one allowed to be protective in this family. But no, all I could do was stand there, seeing the pain in your eyes, and listen to those horrifying whimpers you couldn't hide. N…now it's like that's all I see." He began to sob. "In my dreams everything about you is unrecognizable except for your eyes, and those appalling whimpers. I can't get them out of my head."

Removing his arm from his younger brother's shoulders, Leo once again raised his brother's chin until he was looking Michelangelo in the eyes. "Look at me," he said softly. "I'm okay now. No blood, no bruises. It's time to replace the images, bro."

Michelangelo looked into his brother's eyes; his brother's chocolate colored eyes, with those gold specks twinkling like bright stars. At last, the image of his brother suspended and beaten, began to fade from his mind. He threw himself against Leo's plastron and wrapped his arms around his brother's neck. Leo wrapped his free arm around him in response.

"So, are we okay now," Leo asked a few minutes later.

"Sure, whatever," Michelangelo grumped, but there was a glimmer of his usual humor in the words. He moved back to Leo's free side and laid his head on Leo's shoulder. "Just to let you know, I'm still pissed at you for taking my place."

"Ah, well, that's your right," Leo said in mock disappointment. "I guess I will just have to take myself back to my room then. Well, hope you two sleep well." He moved as if to leave. Suddenly, his younger brothers grabbed him by the arms. "Yes," Leo drawled as he turned back toward the pair. He immediately became serious, however, when he saw the earnest looks on his brothers' face.

"Could…could we come sleep with you," Mikey asked.

"Please," Michelangelo pleaded. "I…I would sleep better if, you know, you were close by."

Leo smiled at his brothers. "Of course you may," he said. "Grab you pillows, and the blanket if you please. You two are blanket hogs."

"Maybe we can sleep with you again tomorrow night, too," Mikey half asked, half suggested as he did as his brother said.

Leo threw an arm over his brothers' shoulder and unabashedly placed a gentle kiss on both their heads. "You may sleep with me as long as you need to," he said.

It took a few minutes to get settled, but by two o'clock, the three turtles were sound asleep in Leo's larger bed. And that's where they were found the next morning: Leo sandwiched between his two baby brothers, both of whom were about as close as they could physically get without crawling into Leo's skin with him. With an understanding smile on the others' face, the three turtles were left to their much needed rest and healing.


	16. Some Necessary Changes

**A/N Sorry it's take so long to update; I've been very busy studying. Fortunately my big test is next weekend, and after that I'll just go back to normal stress levels :). In any case, hope you enjoy this longer chapter as an apology for taking so long to get it up. Hope you find it satisfactory. If not, blame it on all the stress I'm under.**

* * *

At long last Leo was declared completely healed. It had taken nearly three weeks, but the ordeal was finally over. Leo being Leo decided to celebrate his return to health by…taking himself off to the dojo for some much needed practice, of course.

"Don't worry if you're not quite up to par yet," Donatello had told him after clearing him to return to normal activity. 'It's been nearly a month, and your body has been through a lot in that time. You might have to give it a couple of days."

Taking his brother's warning to heart, Leo began his practice with the simplest katas his father had taught him and his brothers as children. The familiar motions helped warm his body up, not to mention how good it felt to move freely and without pain. Once he had worked his way through all the basic katas, Leo moved on to the more intermediary ones. He felt certain that, if his body was going to rebel on him, it would be these sets that would cause it. Instead, Leo made it through every mid-level kata he knew without the slightest twinge or hint of fatigue.

With a grin that was part delight, part mischief, Leo decided to forego the next set of katas and move straight to weapon practice. Moving with an unconscious grace he'd never displayed before, Leo strode over to the stand where he'd placed his katanas all those weeks ago before heading to the Foot Headquarters to rescue his brothers. Taking them down, Leo luxuriated in the familiar feel of the weapons in his hands; it brought an intense feeling of relief and a sense of being whole once more. Finally Leo could finally believe his ordeal was over.

Clearing his mind, Leo launched into a very familiar set of movements, the strikes, blocks, leaps, and kicks flowing from him like some sort of beautiful but deadly ballet. Only once before in his life had Leo ever moved so quickly; that night in his other brothers' dimension that he had faced down that version of Saki and killed him. Now, though, Leo understood what had taken place that night. Thanks to his gradual metamorphosis into an Avatar, his natural abilities had been enhanced; what had happened that night with Saki had simply been a hint of what was to come. If, as Leo suspected, his brothers' abilities had likewise become improved, they were definitely going to need to resume their practice schedule, because it was going to take some getting used to their new speed and power.

Leo had just finished his routine, when an angry voice from the doorway caused him to whirl around in surprise.

"What the shell are you doing," Raph shouted, looking at his older brother with a look of absolute fury on his face.

"Practicing, of course," Leo replied mildly.

"Oh, of course," Raph snorted. "What else would you be doing? I mean, it's not like you didn't just get off what should have been your death bed. Oh, wait, you did. And this after actually being dead; twice."

"Raph," Leo said, trying to soothe his brother. But Raph wasn't in the mood to be soothed.

"Well, go right on ahead," he exclaimed. "You know what? I don't care. Go ahead to do something stupid. No skin off my nose." And with that he turned around stormed off.

Leo watched ruefully as his brother stalked away. He couldn't bring himself to get angry at his best friend. The fear that had been rolling off Raph was almost thick enough to cut with a knife. How could you get angry at someone who was only reacting out of sincere fear for your wellbeing? Sighing, Leo turned back to his work out. For now, Raph needed some time to work off his steam. Like his twin, it would only make things worse if Leo went chasing after him right now. Instead, Leo decided to do his cool down, and then he would go find his father. If he was right, they were going to have to make some adjustments to their practice now that the brothers had been gifted with these new abilities. Yep, things around the Lair were going to be interesting for a while.

TTTT

Raph and Raphael disappeared for the rest of the weekend, spending the time up at April and Casey's place. With April's advancing pregnancy, it was nearly impossible for her to come down to the Lair anymore, and so at least two of the brothers made it a point to go visit her every few days.

By Saturday night, even Leo's new, extended energy level had nearly been depleted by the antics of the Brats. It was snowing topside, so they couldn't escape the Lair, but they kept insisting that all their old games were "totally boring, dude," as Mikey had put it. When Michelangelo bemoaned the loss of the new comics he and Mikey had purchased at the convention the night Hun had grabbed them, it sparked a memory for Leo. After telling his younger brothers that he had something for them, provided they could sit still for fifteen minutes, he pulled on his parka and made his way up to where the Battle Shell was parked. There, exactly where he had left them, were the slightly dirty comics Leo had rescued that horrible night.

He returned to the Lair to find the Brats sitting exactly where he had left them, though it was clear they were sitting still by sheer force of will alone.

"Here," he said, handing them the plastic bound comics. Both turtles' eyes went wide with shock.

"You…you found them," Mikey asked in stunned amazement.

"They were scattered on the ground with the rest of your things," Leo explained. "I just collected them along with everything else. The truth is, until you said something, I had forgotten about them completely."

"Can't imagine why," Michelangelo joked. "It's not like you've had a busy month or anything."

Leo smiled at his younger brother, relieved that his sibling was finally beginning to be able to joke about what had take place. Suddenly, he found himself being squeezed tightly by both of the Brats.

"You are the best big bro, ever," Mikey told him.

"Totally," Michelangelo agreed.

Leo simply returned the hug, then sent his brothers off to enjoy their comics. Once the pair disappeared, Leo then found himself embraced by Donny and Donatello.

"What's this for," he asked, even as he hugged his brothers in return.

"Because you _are_ the best big bro ever," Donny said.

"That, and you got rid of the Brats," Donatello added. "I was about ready to knock them over the head just to get some peace and quiet for a while."

"Don't thank me too quickly," Leo laughed. "The way those two read, they'll be back before you know, just as bored as ever."

"Then I guess we'll just have to enjoy it while we can," Donny said. He started to say something else, but stopped himself. Leo gave him a concerned look, followed quickly by one of total understanding as his brothers' emotions came to him across their bond.

"Hey, the Brats have been a little clingy here lately. I haven't had much chance to get some snuggle time in with my favorite pair of geniuses," he said. "What do you say to a snuggle session while they are otherwise occupied."

The two younger turtles flashed him identical looks of gratification. That was exactly what they wanted; they just couldn't bring themselves to ask for it so boldly. Leo just smiled in understanding as the trio made themselves comfortable on the couch. He knew from personal experience just how hard it was to ask for your brother's physical reassurance; well, difficult if you weren't Mikey or Michelangelo. In any case, the Geniuses were still working out their own emotional issues, and Leo was determined to be there for them as often and as much as they needed him. Still, Leo found himself wishing things with Raph and Raphael could be worked out as easily. Leo really missed his best friends, and come hell or high water, he was not going to let Saki or Darktide ultimately destroy what they had worked so hard to regain. Whatever it took, Leo was going to get his brothers back.

TMNTTMNT

The following Monday morning, practice resumed as usual. Well, almost. First of all, only five of the seven brothers were present. Raph had returned to the Lair late Sunday night (or _early_ Monday morning, depending on how you looked at it), and was still asleep. Raphael had simply never come home.

At exactly six on the hour, Master Splinter started practice.

"But, what about Raph and Raphael," Michelangelo asked.

"If they choose to take today off, that is their decision," Leo told his brother. "However, anymore days beyond this, and they will have to face the consequences."

That made the younger turtles wince. The "consequences" of missing practice for non-legitimate reasons consisted of one-on-one training runs with Leo to make up for however many practices were missed. And while Leo in teacher mode was all patience and good will, Leo in punishment mode was not a pleasant thing to witness, especially if you were the focus of his attention.

Consideration was drawn away from the missing brothers, however, as Master Splinter cleared his throat; a subtle request for his students' attention. Rather than having them start out kneeling before him as usual, however, Splinter instructed his sons to line up against the far wall of the dojo, while he stood as the wall opposite them.

"My students," he said in his calm, soothing voice, "it has come to my attention that, due to recent events, some changes may have taken place in your physical abilities, requiring alterations in your training. Therefore, before we begin our morning exercises, I wish to carry out a small test. The task is simple." He pulled out one of the small, super-bouncy balls (like you get from a gumball machine at the grocery store), and showed it to his pupils. "I will drop this ball from shoulder height. Your task is to catch the ball before it reached the ground."

The turtles stared at their sensei, dumbfounded .

"But, sensei, that's impossible," Donatello argued. "There's nearly twenty feet between here and there. There's no way we can cover that distance in enough time to catch the ball before it hits the floor."

"Please, my sons, I do not ask this of you in vain," Master Splinter said. "Leonardo has brought me some new concerns regarding your future training, and this is essential to determine if his concern are unfounded or not."

The brothers looked at each other, and then at Leo. The serious look on their older brother's face was enough to convince them there really was something to this "test."

"All right, I'll give it a try," Mikey said. His brothers stepped back to give him room. Master Splinter counted to three and dropped the small rubber ball. It had barely fallen half-way to the ground before Mikey was across the room and had it in hand. Everyone, save for Leo and Master Splinter, stared at him in utter amazement.

"But, how," Donatello asked.

"I think it has something to do with our link," Leo said. "Every since I became an Avatar, I've been stronger and faster, and I think some of that had bled across our connection to the rest of you. In a way it makes sense. If the six of you are supposed to be my back-up and, well, 'Guardians,' then it's only logical that you should become stronger and faster in order to be able to keep up with me as well."

"Well, excuse for me for seeming to doubt, but I'd like to try that test before I buy into this," Donny said. He took his place and waited for Master Splinter to drop the ball. When he found himself across the room, holding the rubber ball in his hand a matter of seconds later, he had a look complete disbelief on his face. Of course, that meant that both Donatello and Michelangelo had to give it a try; both of them passed the test as well.

"It seems it is as your brother suggested," Master Splinter told his sons a few moments later, once they had recovered from their astonishment. "Which means there will necessarily be some changes made to your training. As of today, I will no longer be able to direct instructor; as of now, Leonardo will be taking on that role."

"But, sensei," Michelangelo protested. "Why?"

"The sheer fact that, gifted as you have been with preternatural speed and strength, it has become a physical impossibility for me to keep up with you. Don't worry," Splinter hastened to reassure his original youngest. "I am not going anywhere. I will still be working with you brother in developing and monitoring your training. But the actual physical interaction and demonstrations, at least until you have gained control over your new abilities, will have to be done by your brother, since he alone has the speed and power to counter what you have been given."

The answer seemed to reassure the younger turtles, none of whom had been ready to leave their father and teacher behind just yet.

"That being the case, though," Leo said, stepping up to face his brothers, "we are going to be starting back at the very beginning, with the basics. I know, I know," he said as his brothers groaned, "it won't be a lot of fun. But it's necessary. Until you get the feel of just how much faster and stronger you have become, you could inadvertently hurt someone if we tried to continue at our previous level."

The others didn't like it, but they could understand where Leo was coming from. And he was, they were forced to admit, right as usual. Thus it was that, with only a few token grumbles, they got to their feet and began working through the most basic katas and work-outs in their repertoire.

TMNTTMNT

Two days later, it became clear just why Leo had insisted they begin once again with the fundamentals. Mikey had been facing off against Donatello, working on a basic hip throw, when he accidentally almost threw him into a wall. It had startled the purple-masked turtle, and had scared Mikey to death.

"I am so sorry bro," he apologized for the fourth time.

"Mikey, it's okay," Donatello reassured him. "That's why we're doing things slowly; so we can figure out our new limits. That was bound to happen. I'm just glad we're not using weapons yet. And along those lines, I'm beginning to thing we, as in you, your twin, my twin, and myself, are going to need to upgrade to metal weapons. With our extra strength, I don't think wooden weapons will hold up very long."

The only mar on the new training regime was the absence of both Raph and Raphael. After the third missed morning practice, making six missed practices all together (including evening work outs), Leo had finally had enough. That Thursday, he decided it was time his younger brothers, Raph in particular since he was the only one around the Lair, paid the piper. With the blessing of his father and younger brothers, Leo dismissed himself from evening practice that night, and instead cornered Raph in his room.

"Get dressed," he ordered his younger brother, tossing him his cold weather exercise clothes. "We're going out."

"As if," Raph scoffed, only to find himself pinned in place by his brother's blazing glare.

"Get dressed," Leo said again, his voice scarily soft. "We are leaving in five minutes. For every minute after that it takes you to get ready to go, I will add fifteen minutes to our run. Do you understand me?"

Raph just swallowed harshly and quickly dressed. Leo in this kind of mood was not one to mess with, because he didn't deal in empty threats. Five minutes later Raph was dressed in his exercise clothes (consisting of a thick hoodie and specially designed gloves and shoes to protect his hands and feet from the snow [hey, they're turtles; cold-blooded and snow don't go well together without some sort of protection), and following his older brother to the surface.

After a brief warm-up, Leo set off on a killer pace, one Raph really had to work to keep up with. The older turtle led his brother all over town, forcing him to carry out a number of tricky and challenging leaps and maneuvers across the rooftops. Finally, after two full hours, Leo came a stop atop a very familiar rooftop; the same one Raph, Mikey, and Raphael had had their little pow-wow on following the younger turtles' arrival in their brothers' dimension.

"Are you ready to listen yet," Leo asked his brother. The older turtle, Raph couldn't help noticing, wasn't even breathing hard. He was too worked up to notice, however, that neither was he.

"Screw this," Raph growled at his brother. "I'm done with this." He moved as if to leave, only to find himself face-to-face with his, angry, older brother. "Move," he hissed.

"Make me," Leo said, crossing his arm challengingly over his plastron.

With a howl, Raph leaped at his brother. Leo met the charge head on, carefully controlling his strength as he threw his brother over his shoulder. Raph rolled with the momentum and came to his feet. Mindless with anger now, he drew his weapons and charged at his brother once more. Leo, despite his brother's seeming murderous intent, remained calm. With grace and speed, he stayed just out of his brother's reach, landing only stinging, humiliating blows intended to further enrage his sibling. Raph, he knew, had a lot of emotional baggage riding on him right now, but they would only be able to get a handle on it once the anger and aggression were out of the way.

At last, after fifteen minutes of intense sparring, Raph finally dropped to his knees. Sais held loosely at his sides, chin resting on his chest, he was finally able to let the tears come. Immediately Leo moved to his side. Gently taking his brother's weapons away and setting them aside, he gathered Raph into his arms. Raph turned into the embrace, and sobbed his pain out of his brother's shoulder. Despite the cold, Leo didn't move until his brother had calmed down, some five minutes later.

"Hey," he said softly as he gently wiped the tears from his brother's face. "Why don't we find someplace warm, and we can talk. I think it's time you got this off your chest."

Raph simply nodded and, after collecting his weapons, followed his brother off the rooftop and down into the sewers. A quiet call from Leo to inform the other they were on their way home had the Lair quiet and empty by the time the pair arrived. Thoughtfully someone, Mikey from the taste of it, had left two mugs of hot chocolate waiting on the counter in the kitchen. Raph and Leo gathered up the mugs and headed for Leo's room.

Once settled on the bed, Leo drew his brother up next to him.

"All right," he said, "where do you want to start?"

To bother turtles' surprise, Raph began describing what he went through seeing his dead older brother once more.

"I was terrified, seeing him again," Raph admitted shakily. "I mean, the last think I told him was 'I hate you,' and then he was tortured and killed to protect our family. I was certain he was going to…to turn on me. Bu the he didn't. Even after everything he went through, he still didn't hate me."

"Why should he," Leo asked gently.

"Because…because…"

"Because nothing," Leo said. "Your older brother loves you. That was the last thing he asked me to tell you before I came back the first time. He wanted you to know that _he_ knew that you didn't mean what you had said. He said it was time to stop carrying your guilt. And he's right. It's time to let it go."

"How can I," Raph asked softly, his voice full of pain. "I mean, it happened again with you."

"What did," Leo asked, a little perplexed.

"My brother, my best friend, gave his life to save us, and I did nothing to stop it," Raph agonized. "It was bad enough, last time, finding my brother's body, as mutilated as it was. This time was even worse. This time, I was only a room away, and I did nothing to help. I simply let you be tor…tortured, and then die." Once more the tears began to fall. "It hurt, Leo. I've never felt anything that painful in my life."

"Ah, Raph," Leo began, but his brother cut him off, suddenly angry again.

"You have to stop this," he all but yelled at his brother. "I can't stand by and watch you accept death with open arms in defense of us anymore. And if you can't get that through your head, I will leave. I swear I will."

"Raph," Leo said loudly, gaining his brother's attention. "I want to show you something."

With that, he drew snagged one of his brother's Sais and, with one smooth motion, drove it into his stomach.

"Leo," Raph shouted in horror. He quickly withdrew the blade and reached to staunch the wound with one of the pillows…only to find there was no wound to be staunched. "What the…" he gasped in surprise.

"This is what I've been trying to tell you," Leo said. "Thanks to what we went through, it's going to be incredibly difficult to kill any of us anymore. Now, that still doesn't mean I'm going to stop being protective of all of you. As I told the Geeks, that's just the way I'm made. But you can stop worrying about me dying. Death is going to have one shell of a fight to claim once more."

As Raph processed his brother's words, he couldn't help running a gentle hand over the unblemished skin of his brother's plastron. Leo just sat silently, allowing his brother to think. At last, Raph lifted his head and looked his brother in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he said.

Leo drew him into a hug. "You're forgiven," he said. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry that you, all of you, were forced to go through that."

Raph yawned, and snuggle deeper into his brother's chest, exhaustion finally settling in. "Just don't do it again," he mumbled sleepily.

"You got it," Leo promised.

"Love ya, big bro," Raph muttered already half asleep, his eyes closed. "Y'r stl m'bes fren. Ms'd yu."

Leo placed a gentle kiss on his brother's head. "I missed you too," he whispered. "I love you, little brother." And with that, he hugged his best friend closer, and likewise drifted off to sleep.


	17. Distressed Again

**A/N Here's the next installation. I was planning on actually getting to the Leo/Raphael confrontation in this chapter, but the Muse had other plans. Instead, something else entirely came out. Anyway, Leo and Raphael should be coming face to face in the next chapter or so; until then have fun.**

* * *

The next morning, of course, Raph joined his brothers for practice. But first he felt compelled to confess his "sin" of attacking his big brother the night before, despite Leo's argument that such a confession was unnecessary. Raph wasn't going to be put off, however, and he offered a heartfelt apology not only to his brothers, but his sensei as well for his dishonorable actions.

"Hey, bro, it's okay," Michelangelo reassured him, after inevitably teasing him about having a "Raphael tantrum" that is. "Just, don't let it happen again; we've gotten used to you being the nice Raph. Having two temperamental hotheads around would be more than we could take."

"Deal," Raph said, giving his younger brother a smile.

Given the circumstances, and the apology, Raph's younger brother unanimously voted to excuse him from having to serve out the rest of his training runs. To everyone's surprise, however, he declined that option, stating that no, he'd shirked his duty a little too often lately, and that he'd accept the penalty like a big turtle. Besides, he'd missed his best friend, and this was the perfect excuse to spend some one-on-one time with Leo that he didn't have to share with anyone else.

It wasn't until he joined his brothers in their new work out routine, and saw just how much he and his brothers had changed both in terms of speed and power, that the exact events of the previous night finally caught up with Raph. He and Leo had ranged across the city, about twenty square miles, at full speed, and it hadn't even winded them. The realization literally knocked him on his shell.

"But…but how," he asked his brothers in shock. The question and the dazed look on his face caused his brothers to chuckle. They'd been through this on Monday, so they could appreciate the unsettling nature of this revelation.

"It's Leo's fault," Donny told him as he helped Raph to his feet. "Since he's become faster and stronger, by extension, and because of our connection, so have we."

Raph gave his older brother a contemplative look. "So, in addition to being practically indestructible, you can now outrun _and_ out fight us?"

"Not quite," Leo said. "What I think happened is our natural abilities and strengths were just magnified. That being the case, you and Raphael will still be the strongest; it's just that you're _a lot_ stronger now."

"Wait, what's this about being indestructible," Donatello asked. "Did we miss something?"

Raph gave his big brother a smirk, to which Leo scowled in response, as Raph told his younger brothers, "Leader Mine over here decided to prove a point last night by stabbing himself in the gut with my sai."

The younger turtles whirled around to stare in alarm at Leo. Leo gave Raph a look that said "you're going to pay for this," even as Donatello began to berate him.

"Leonardo," he said quietly, though dangerously for all that his tone was soft, his use of his brother's full name revealing just how upset he was. "Brother dearest, if I ever hear of you doing something so **stupid** again, especially after everything this family has been through in the past few weeks, I promise that what I will do to you will make you wish you had stayed on the other side of death. Do you understand me?"

Since it never pays to anger anyone who knows your insides better than you do, Leo meekly promised. Even as he said it, though, everyone knew it was a conciliatory promise at best. Leo would do it again in a heart beat if it meant it would somehow help his family. Still, it seemed to appease Donatello, who, in retaliation, insisted on examining Leo before permitting practice to continue any further, despite any sort of evidence that Leo had even hurt himself the night before. Finally satisfied that all was at is should be, at least as much as it could be these days, Donatello released his older brother, and the turtles were able to get back to their work out.

TMNTTMNT

With Raph back, things were almost back to normal. Still, there continued to be a sense of being out of balance with Raphael's persistent absence. Leo was meditating later that evening on the best way to deal with his missing brother's prolonged departure, when Case arrived with a note from said brother.

"Hey guys," the human said as he hurried into the Lair. "Sorry, don't have long to stop and chat. April is really craving some pickles, and the ones we have home aren't the 'right kind,' so I have to go by the store and pick up a jar. Raphael just wanted me to drop this by while I was out."

He handed the folded sheet of paper to Leo and was gone before the turtles really had time to even acknowledge his presence. Leo looked at the single piece of paper in his hand with a sense of foreboding. Whatever his younger brother had to say, Leo knew he wasn't going to like it. Opening the message, Leo read:

_Hey bros. I'm sorry to tell you this way, but I won't be coming back. Don't worry, I'm not going far. April is letting me have the basement apartment, so I'll still be around. I just can't take this anymore. Everything that has happened to our family, to Leo… Anyway, please, give me some time. I promise, I'll stop by. This isn't goodbye. I just need a little space. All my love, Raphael_

All the turtles listened to Raphael's words with distressed astonishment. Raphael was leaving? Sure, it was only as far as April's place, but still. How could their brother do this to them? Surely he knew how much they needed him; how much Leo needed him.

For Leo, the pain was worst of all. Allowing the letter to drop from nerveless fingers, he turned away and almost staggered into the kitchen table.

"Leo," Raph exclaimed in alarm, rushing to his brother's assistance. He helped Leo sit down, and knelt by his side in case he had any more trouble. He was quickly joined by the rest of the family. Looking at his older brother's stricken face, Raph felt his own heart lurch. Cupping Leo's face in his hand, Raph asked gently, "Are you okay?"

"This is all my fault," Leo whispered.

"No way." "Uh-uh." Leo's brothers were quick to try and reassure him, but the oldest turtle was beyond hearing them.

"If I hadn't—Ack!" Leo was cut off by a sudden pain ripping through his head.

"Leo," Raph exclaimed, even as he was pushed out of the way by Donny and Donatello.

"Leo, what's wrong," Donny asked. "What hurts?"

Leo grabbed his head with both hands. "Ra…Raphael just…just severed his…his connection, I think," he said quietly, unable to hold back a whimper of pain. Tears flowed down his face as the backlash continued to pound through his brain. The Geniuses just looked at each other; there wasn't a whole they could do for this kind of pain. Leo's recent illness had demonstrated that. Before they could even suggest any course of action, however, a dreadful_ cracking-crackling_ sound filled the Lair, and Leo cried out once again as a hideous scar suddenly appeared, marring both Leo's shell and his plastron.

"What the shell is going on," Raph demanded of no one in particular looking in horror at his brother's now mutilated appearance.

"I…I don't know," Donny said, hating his own uncertain tone of voice.

"My sons, what is…?" Splinter's question was cut off as he saw his clearly suffering oldest surrounded by his brothers; he had been drawn out of his mediation by the sudden commotion. "Leonardo!" The elderly rat hurried to his son's side and placed a gentle hand on his shell. "My son, what is happening to you now," he asked, more to himself than to Leo.

Mikey quickly explained about Raphael's letter, and what had happened after Leo had read the note. Splinter gave his oldest a look of acute concern. If, as it had been explained to him, Leo's status as an Avatar depended on his connection with all his brothers, could it be that by severing his link with Leo that Raphael had inadvertently caused his older brother harm? It was a staggering thought, but Splinter couldn't see any other explanation for what was taking place.

At that moment, a new figure appeared in the Lair. The ghostly form of the younger Leonardo hurried over to where his brothers were surrounding his hurting older self.

"What on earth is going on," he asked the others. "The Council just informed me that one of Leo's Guardians severed his link, and that I needed to get here as quickly as possible."

Once again Mikey explained what had take place. The ghostly Leonardo gave his brothers a look as full of concern as the one Master Splinter had given Leo.

"This is bad news, bros," he told the others. "An avatar has to have an even number of Guardians; that's the way these things work. If Raphael has purposefully severed his link, then I guess you might say the whole system is on its way to shutting down."

"In English, please," Raph said a bit testily.

"All right, basically what happens with an Avatar and his Guardians is that your life energies are connected and amplified by one another, hence the increased speed, strength, and healing you've encountered. Because of that, what happens when one of you gets injured, is that the 'damage' gets spread around the entire group so that no one individual actually takes the full brunt of the wound. What happened when Raphael 'disconnected' himself is that, although Leo was healed, Raphael's body hadn't completely finished eradicating his portion of the damage, and it rebounded back to Leo."

"So, wait, you mean Leo could die _again_, Donatello asked, his voice unusually terse. "And what does this have to do with having an even number of Guardians?"

"To answer your first question, I first need to address the second. You see, as long as there is an even number of Guardians, the amount of damage each part of the connection receives is divided equally. Don't ask me why it has be an even number for this work, it just does. When one of the Guardians leaves, for whatever reason, however, it's like cutting part of a closed circuit, causing the power flow to cease. In fact, that should have happened already, and Leo should have been experiencing the backlash from whatever remaining wound each of you were healing. As for it killing him, I don't believe so; the healing process it too far advanced. However, like the scars he 'reclaimed' from Raphael, he should be showing whatever leftovers the rest of you were carrying as well."

"The bonds not cut completely," Leo mumbled from where he was sitting.

The group looked him in surprise.

"What do you mean, bro," Donny asked.

"I…I can't feel Raphael anymore," Leo said. "But I can feel Sensei and Junior over there. Individually they're not as strong, but together they seem to be holding Raphael's place."

"That's impossible," the younger Leo said. "The Guardian-Avatar bond doesn't work that way."

"Yeah, well, in case you haven't notice, we don't exactly follow the rules," Michelangelo said. "Tell Leo 'you can't,' and he'll find someway to make it happen. Besides, you and Master Splinter are family, too."

"This is all very interesting," Raph growled, "but what are going to do now? Besides me going and kicking my twin's shell, I mean?"

"Raph, no," Leo ordered, trying to climb to his feet. Unfortunately, his swaying form rather took away from his authority, and Raph had to wrap his arms around his brother to keep him from collapsing again. Once he was seated once more, Leo looked Raph in the face. "Raphael is hurting."

"So are you," Raph interrupted; Leo just ignored him.

"Raph, we can't force him back," Leo said.

"So, what, we just let the coward get away with this," Raph growled. "I don't think so."

"For once, I'm with Raph," Donatello added. "What Raphael needs—"

"Is some time," Leo insisted.

"How much time are you willing to give him," Donny asked, joining the conversation. "Until our whole bond is completely eradicated and you're left a scarred mess? Sorry bro, not going to happen."

Leo could feel his brothers' fear, anger, and concern. For the most part, he could understand it. But he also knew that if they were to confront Raphael in this mood, they'd only drive him further away. No, the one who needed to face Raphael was Leo himself, but with this unexpected set back, it was going to be a few days before he was able to handle that confrontation. He tried explaining that to his siblings, but they were too upset to listen.

"Bro, he's got to understand what he's doing to you," Mikey said.

"But—"Leo tried again; his brothers refused to listen however, and their bickering got louder and louder.

"I'll go," the younger Leo suddenly announced, catching everyone's attention. They immediately got quiet and looked at him in surprise. He shrugged and said, "I've been assigned to be the family's protector and liaison with the Council. As far as I'm concerned, this is a matter that falls under the realm of protecting the family. So I'll go talk to Raphael. The rest of you stick close to Leo. Hopefully his connection with your father and I to act as a place holder everything will be okay until we can get Raphael back. Just give me a couple of days. Please."

The others considered his request thoughtfully for a few minutes. After conferring quietly with their sensei, Raph finally said, "Okay, you can have until Saturday. After that, if he isn't back, and our Leo, well our older Leo, isn't up to facing him, then I will personally kick his shell."

Nodding his acceptance of the terms, the ghost disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared. Watching him go, Splinter whispered, "Good luck, young one. May you be successful." Then he turned back to caring for his, once again, distressed family.


	18. Regretful Confrontations

**A/N Whoo-hoo. That Raphael sure has a temper. And once again it gets him in trouble. Problem is, it gets Leo too. Ah, that boy!**

* * *

The young shade caught up with Raphael the next night. The older turtle was sitting on top of one of the smaller apartment buildings, watching as Donny and the Brats did a little dumpster diving for something or another that Donny was absolutely insistent they needed. What disturbed the living turtle, however, was Donatello's absence. He and Donny almost always went on these outings together; unless, of course, one or the other healer was needed at home for some reason. Raphael refused to allow himself to consider what might necessitate Donatello staying home tonight.

As involved as he was watching his family, Raphael was still aware when a new presence joined him on the roof top.

"Go away, I have nothing to say to you," he said without turning around.

"Perhaps not, but I have something to tell you," Leo told him.

Raphael was perplexed by that voice. It sounded like the one he was expecting, but at the same time it didn't. Curiosity getting the better of him, he turned around to see the ghostly form of the younger Leonardo standing behind him.

"Wait; what are you doing here," he spluttered; the ghost certainly wasn't who he was expecting. Leo ignored the question. Moving to stand by Raphael's side, he looked down to where Donny and the Brats were scrounging through the dumpster. He then twisted around to give Raphael a perplexed look.

"If you're so worried about them, why are you up here and not down there with them," he asked.

Raphael growled at him. "None of your business."

"Seeing as how two of those two turtles down there are directly related to me, I would say that makes it my business," Leo countered. "But even if they weren't, it still wouldn't change the fact that _you_ are concerned about them, and yet you hide from them."

"Like I said, none of your business," Raphael said turning away from his older brother's alternate self.

Leo snorted. "I'm beginning to think you're just a coward."

Raphael went completely still. In a controlled movement, he turned around to face the younger ghost. "What. Did. You. Call. Me," he asked quietly.

"A coward," Leo said succinctly. "You hide up here, skulking around, instead of going down there and facing your brothers. Because you know that they have reason to be angry with you."

"Come on, my moving out wouldn't upset them that badly," Raphael scoffed.

"I'm not talking about you moving out of your family's home," Leo said. "I'm talking about what you did to your older brother; the older brother they have all worked so hard to save."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Raphael said, but his tone was defensive, and his body language had become closed off.

"Then you are denying that you severed your empathic link with Leonardo," the younger turtle challenged. Raphael shifted his feet uneasily.

"So what if I did?"

"Let me show you something," the ghost said. He waved a hand in a circular motion, and a cloud like substance appeared in the air before him. An image of Raphael's brothers appeared on the cloud as if cast there by some sort of invisible projector. "This is what happened yesterday," he informed Raphael.

Raphael watched as Casey arrived at the Lair and handed the note to Leo. As his older brother read Raphael's short message, the younger turtle couldn't help noticing the almost imperceptible trembling in his brother's hands. Could he really have disturbed his brother that much? Raphael got his answer a few moments later when Leo allowed the sheet of paper to fall from his hand, and he lurched toward the kitchen table and sat down heavily in the chair. Raphael found himself wanting to reach out and beg his brother's forgiveness when Leo started blaming himself, once again, for the younger turtle's choice. And then Leo cried out and grabbed his head. A few seconds later, a ghastly scar ripped its way across Leo's plastron, causing the oldest turtle to cry out once more.

"Wait, what's going on," Raphael demanded of the younger Leo.

"It was at this point you severed your bond," the younger phantom said. "In so doing, the parts of his wounds that you had taken upon yourself to heal were rebounded back on your brother. As of that moment, that scar became a permanent part of your brother."

Raphael turned distressed eyes back to the images of his siblings. He had never meant to hurt Leo again. He was simply tired of causing his older sibling so much pain. After all, it was partly his fault that Leo had faced that horror at Saki's hand. Not only that, but Raphael had a lot of emotional baggage of his own from the pain he had endured by watching his brothers, both directly and indirectly, being tortured. Raphael was just tired of hurting, and so he had attempted to cut himself off from everything. He didn't realize he'd spoken those thoughts aloud until Leo said, "It doesn't work that way. You can't run from your pain."

The calm, reasonable tone, along with Raphael's already guilty conscience, made the red masked turtle snap. "I don't care," he exclaimed. "I'm tired of catering to Leo. Here lately he's only been take, take, take with all his emotional needs. Well, you know what, I'm through. Leo can take care of himself from now on." Even as the words came out, Raphael knew they were a lie. But his own pain and guilt were too much for him to handle, so he fell back on old habits.

"You don't mean that," the ghost said aghast. "You care for your brother; I know you do. Besides, if you don't come back, the bond between the rest of your siblings will not hold, and Leo could end up mutilated for life. Surely you don't want that."

"I don't care what happens," Raphael said stubbornly, refusing to let the tears show in his eyes. "Just go away and leave me alone."

The young shade looked at Raphael's unyielding back with regret. It was clear the older turtle was not going to listen to him. If Leo, the older one that is, couldn't get through to his brother, the newest Avatar was doomed to defeat long before his time. With a regretful shake of his head, Leo faded away into the night.

TTTT

Raphael knew the instant he was alone, and he finally allowed the tears to flow. What he'd told the ghostly version of his older brother had only been part lie. After all, Raphael would never purposefully wish that his brother would be so badly disfigured. But he hadn't been lying about how much pain he was in. Inside he was a mixture of guilt, grief, relief, anger, horror, and joy, all vying for dominance. The end result was Raphael didn't know what to feel, which naturally made him even angrier, thus mixing his emotions even further. Raphael knew that, had Leo not been knocked on his shell after coming back from death the second time, the oldest turtle would have quickly cornered his younger brother and made him talk his feelings out until Raphael had a better grasp on them. Instead, Leo had been laid up on his sick bed, forcing Raphael to relive all his helplessness and horror once again, until his emotions were in a jumbled knot. At that point, Raphael had decided to run. If he couldn't face his troublesome emotions, he hoped at least to be able to escape them. As he sat staring off into the dark sky, tears running down his face, only his pride kept Raphael from admitting that, no matter how hard he tried, he could never outrun himself.

TTTT

Leo was tucked into bed, purportedly sleeping, when his younger self appeared. Leo knew immediately that the confrontation had not been a success.

"I'm sorry," the ghost said sadly. "I couldn't get through to him."

Leo gave him an understanding smile. "I'm not surprised," he said. "You're rather out of practice dealing with that hot head. Besides, Raphael tends to be a very different creature from his twin."

"The others are going to be furious when they find out he's not coming back," the shade said mournfully.

"That's assuming they find out," Leo said, climbing from bed. He moved across the room and began to strap his katana sheaths on.

"Whoa, what are you doing," the younger Leo spluttered.

"What I should have done in the first place," Leo said, sliding his swords into their sheaths. "I'm going after my brother."

"You're not up for this yet," the ghost protested.

Leo gave his younger self a "look."

"Listen here, junior," he said. "Despite what he said, and whether or not he wants to admit it, Raphael needs my help. And if he's not disposed to accept it peacefully, then I'm ready and willing to kick his shell until he's ready to listen to reason."

"But, what about your other brothers," the ghost tried again, not wanting to see his older self hurt.

"They don't need to know; not yet," Leo said. "After all, what they don't know can't hurt me." And then he silently slipped out his bedroom door and through the Lair. Once he hit the sewer tunnels, he took off at a run. This nonsense with Raphael was going to end tonight, one way or another.

TMNTTMNT

They really ought to name this place Confrontation Tower, or something similar, Leo thought as he finally caught up with Raphael. Once again he was on top of the building where, twice before, his family had come head to head over their problems. For a long moment, Leo just stood in the shadow watching his brother. Raphael's pain was evident to the older turtle, and it disturbed him that Raphael would choose hide away from his family rather than ask for the help it was apparent he needed.

"You might as well come out," Raphael said quietly without turning around. "I know you're there."

Leo moved to his brother's side. Raphael never looked at him.

"What are you doing here, Leo," Raphael asked. "Junior come tattling that I didn't want to play nice?"

"I'm worried about you," Leo told his sibling. "I know everything that has happened in the past month has to be bothering you, but you insist on bottling it up. It's not healthy."

"No, what isn't healthy is being around you," Raphael said deliberately cruelly.

"What are you talking about," Leo said, unable to hide the hurt in his tone. "Save for a few small injuries, the rest of you haven't been hurt."

"Oh yeah, what about what happened, to us when the Babbots kidnapped you," Raphael challenged, purposefully drawing on episodes he knew had the power to hurt his brother. "Oh, and sitting waiting for you to decide whether to live or give up when we brought you back from the other dimension wasn't any fun either. And let's not forget the newest torture you involved us: watching you hurt, and then dying not once, but twice. How much more are you going to ask of us, Leo? Because I'm tired of it."

At first, Leo had a hard time understanding his brother's vitriolic attack against him. True those times his family had been dragged into a painful situation against their will, but Leo had never meant for it to happen; after all, he'd been hurt too. Still, he was about to drown in a sea of his own guilt, when it dawned on Leo what his brother was doing. In classic Raphael style, the hurting turtle was attacking as a means of masking his own pain. Leo had to admit that his brother's verbal blows were nearly as effective as his physical ones. Notwithstanding, Leo knew this had to stop. Raphael wasn't doing himself any good by allowing his hurt to fester this way. But just like with Raph, Leo acknowledged that, until he could take the edge off his brother's aggression, there was little hope for any sort of meaningful healing. With that in mind, he drew his katanas and faced his brother.

"Fine, if you're tired of it, why don't you do something about it," Leo taunted his brother. Raphael's eyes widened as he stared at his armed sibling.

"I'm not going to fight you," he said, a scowl then coming over his face.

"Coward."

The goading word hung heavily between the siblings.

"That is the second time tonight I have been called that," Raphael said quietly.

"Then what are you going to do about it," Leo asked smugly.

In reply, Raphael launched himself at his brother, Sais drawn. Leo met the charge head on. He met his brother's weapons with his own, turning them aside. As Raphael went sailing past him, Leo delivered a swift kick to his shell, sending his younger brother sprawling on the roof top. With a growl, Raphael regained his feet, and the two brothers began to circle each other. With a graceful twirl of his deadly blade, Raphael reversed his grip on his left sai and attacked his older brother once more. Using the reversed blade as a type of makeshift shield, Raphael caught his brother's swords on it, while at the same time he swiped at Leo's vulnerable middle. This time it was Leo's turn to retreat.

After regaining his footing, Leo launched himself again at his brother, though this time he leaped over him at the last second. As soon as he landed, Leo swept his brother's feet out from underneath him, but Raphael didn't stay down long. Staying low, he charged at his brother again, catching him in the stomach, and bearing him to the ground. Leo's shell hit the roof top with a loud _crack_, and the still recovering turtle lost his grip on his swords. They went flying across out of his hands. Pushing his brother off of him, Leo scrambled to his feet. He tried to get to where his weapons were lying, just a few feet away, but his rage-blinded brother had other ideas. Without thinking, or even realizing what he was doing, Raphael grabbed Leo by the left arm and pulled him towards him. With his other hand, he sent his sai into his brother's body with the full force of strength. It wasn't until he felt the warm gush of blood over his hand that he realized what he had done.

Eyes wide with horror, Raphael looked down to see his sai, _his_, buried in his brother's abdomen. With a cry of shame, Raphael pulled the blade out, and stepped away from his wounded sibling. The sai dropped form his shocked hand. Leo's right hand automatically went to the wound, while he reached out imploringly to his brother with the left.

"Raphael," he called out, shock and surprise making his voice soft and uncertain. Raphael's first thought was to run, to leave behind this horrible scene. But as he felt the blood begin to cool on his hand, he knew he couldn't do that. Instead, he made himself go to his brother's side, just barely catching Leo as the older turtle collapsed. He settled on the cold concrete, his brother cradled in his lap. Desperately he pulled the bandages from his emergency kit and pressed them to the bleeding wound, but even as he did so he knew it was too little, too late. Even if the Geeks could get here in the next five minutes, there was nothing they could do to save Leo. Tears began to run down Raphael's face. Drawing his brother even closer to him, he whispered, "I'm so sorry, Leo. So, so sorry."

"Shh," Leo whispered back hoarsely. "M'fault."

"No, it was my fault," Raphael countered. "I let my temper get the best of me and—"He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. "I swear, if there was anything I could do, I would take this back."

"Is sm'thin," Leo slurred as the blood loss began to take its toll. "Th' bnd."

"But I severed it," Raphael said, hopelessly.

"Try," Leo said almost inaudibly, and then his eyes lost the battle to remain open.

"Leo," Raphael choked out. "Leo! No, don't do this." But Leo didn't respond. In desperation, Raphael tried to fulfill his brother's final request. Concentrating with all his might, he _reached_ for his older brother's mind. For a long moment, nothing happened, and Raphael began to fear that it was too late. Just he was about to give up hope, however, the smallest sliver of his brother's awareness touched his mind. Exultant with joy, Raphael grabbed that small piece of his brother, and hung on tight, sending every bit of love he had ever felt for his brother toward that dwindling spark. Ever so slowly, the sense of Leo began to grow more and more distinct. Suddenly, as before, an unusual feeling of heat rushed through Leo's body, and the heart that had once more almost beat its last began to thump steadily once more. Under his hand, Raphael could feel that Leo's plastron was whole again, no gaping wound marring it.

At once relieved and horrified by what had almost happened, Raphael buried his face in his brother's shoulder and let the tears flow.


	19. Healing For Two

**A/N Yeah, my test is finally over! Hopefully that means I will finally be able to finish this story. In any case, I hope this chapter reads better than it seems to me. I got half way through it, and it suddenly took a turn even I wasn't expecting. Apparently my muse decided we needed to take care of some of Leo's lingering emotions, in addition to Raphael's. In any case, I hope you enjoy it, and thank you so much for your patience.**

* * *

After a few minutes, Raphael pulled himself together. That's when he noticed he was shivering, making reality set in: he had to get his brother someplace warm. Between the cold winter air and the blood loss, Leo was a prime candidate for shock. After first retrieving his sai, Raphael scooped his brother up, barely noticing how little he had to work to carry his muscular older brother. Making his way off the rooftop, Raphael was faced with a decision. Should he take Leo back to the Lair, or back to the apartment April was letting him use? In the end he decided to take Leo to the apartment. He wasn't up to facing his irate younger siblings just yet. Besides, the apartment was just a tad closer, and with Leo in this condition, closer was definitely better.

As Raphael carried his unconscious brother home, he couldn't help going over the fight they'd just had in his mind. How on earth had he reached the point that he could not only draw his weapons against his brother, but actually go so far in forgetting himself as to really use them on him? The sight of his sai sticking out of his brother's body had just rocketed to the top of his nightmare images, and self-disgust had joined the miasma of emotions that were churning in him. It was going to take Raphael a long time to forgive himself for this one; that, and probably a well deserved shell-kicking from his younger self. Probably from all his younger brothers as well. Oh, well, he deserved it.

By this time Raphael had reached April's building. Pushing aside his punishing thoughts, Raphael hurried inside. He settled Leo on the bed, and moved to gather a few supplies. He grabbed a wash cloth and filled a bowl with warm water. Carrying these over to the bed, he very gently washed away the dried blood from his brother's plastron. Although he knew that there was no wound to be seen, he couldn't help checking visually, just to be certain. Sure enough, his brother's chest, save for the hole where Stockman had shot him and the horrific scar now marring it, was otherwise completely unblemished. Still, that didn't keep Raphael from gently running his hand over the unmarked flesh. That had been too close; much too close.

After drying Leo's snow soaked body off, Raphael tucked him under the covers. He pulled the covers up to his brother's chin and made sure the electric blanket (a present from Michelangelo) was set high enough to keep his vulnerable sibling warm. Raphael then wrapped another comforter around himself and, pulling up a chair next to the bed, settled in to keep an eye on his brother. Under the combined effects of the warm blanket and the emotional fatigue, however, it wasn't long before his chin hit his chest, and he was sound asleep.

TMNTTMNT

When Leo awoke early the next morning, it took a moment to realize that he wasn't in the Lair. Once memory hit, Leo looked around wide-eyed for his brother. An affectionate smile came to his face as he found his sibling sleeping in what could only be an uncomfortable position in a chair next to the bed. Leo wanted to shake his head. In one of the few traits Raphael had picked up from his twin, the bed in his new place was a king, rather than the hammock Raphael preferred back at the Lair. However, rather than sharing its warmth, Raphael had chosen to sleep in a chair rather than with his brother. At this point, Leo wasn't certain whether that was because Raphael was afraid of somehow further injuring him, or whether the younger turtle was still uncomfortable around Leo. Well, whichever it was, Raphael had better get over it; Leo wasn't playing anymore games when it came to rebuilding his family.

With that in mind, Leo crawled out from under the covers. Shivering slightly in the cold morning air, he unwrapped his brother and, using their bond to make sure Raphael remained asleep, moved him to the bed. Leo crawled in beside his brother and pulled the blankets up over the both of them. Snuggling into Raphael's side, Leo closed his eyes once again. In no time at all, he was sound asleep once more. Neither brother was aware, as they slept, of moving even closer, or of Leo whimpering from unremembered nightmares, causing Raphael to wrap a comforting arm around his big brother and best friend, determined to protect him even in sleep.

TTTT

The next awakening belonged to Raphael. Consciousness slowly returned to him, making him aware that not only was he lying flat, as opposed sitting in the chair, he was also wrapped around his brother like some sort of clinging vine, his head resting contentedly on Leo's chest, the comforting sound of his brother's heartbeat sounding in his ear. Torn between bewilderment and embarrassment, Raphael moved as if to untangle himself, only to be stopped short by his brother's tightening hold, and the strangled whimper that escaped from Leo as his security blanket attempted to draw away. With a put upon sigh that was only partially genuine, Raphael lay back down with his sibling. This, he admitted to himself, was nice. It had been too long since he had allowed himself to just snuggle with Leo. In fact, he hadn't done so since Leo's return from his second brush with death. Raphael had forgotten the sense of well being that came from just sitting quietly with his older brother. Besides, even he couldn't deny that he found the sound of his brother's healthy, beating heart to be downright soothing.

A few minutes later, however, the quiet was disturbed as Leo whimpered again.

"Shh," Raphael whispered, running a comforting hand up and down his brother's arm. Leo immediately quieted; but it didn't last for long. A few minutes later he moaned again, and this time Raphael caught a wisp of pain from his brother through their bond. Concerned about whatever was disturbing Leo, Raphael tightened his focus just slightly, his brother's sleep-relaxed mind and the close physical contact making it that much easier to connect with his brother's emotions. At once Raphael was engulfed in feelings of terror, horror, grief, regret, agony, and gut-tearing fear. Although he received no images through the bond, Raphael immediately knew he was picking up on his brother's residual feelings from what he had experienced at Saki's hands. Feelings, Raphael knew from past experience, that Leo hadn't shared with anyone else because he had been so busy taking care of his brothers to face his own demons.

With another gentle sigh, Raphael pushed a little harder against his brother's mind. It wasn't easy under normal circumstances to get Leo to open up, so Raphael was willing to take whatever opening he could. All of a sudden, the world around Raphael went dark, and he felt like he was falling. The sensation lasted only a few seconds, but when he was once again able to make out his surroundings, what Raphael saw made his swear. He was back in that horrid little room at Foot Headquarters; but things were different this time, for Raphael found himself in the room with Hun and Michelangelo, with Leo strung up on that weird, invisible restraint system. Raphael's stomach clenched as he watched Hun swing his massive fist into his older brother's body. From he was watching, Michelangelo cried out with wordless horror. For a long moment, Raphael couldn't understand what was going on. How had he ended up back here? That's when he saw him: Leo was standing in the far corner of the room, his eyes glued, not on his own suffering form, but on his miserable younger brother. Immediately Raphael realized what had happened. Somehow, someway, he had ended up in Leo's nightmare.

With his new knowledge blazing in his mind, Raphael knew he had to get Leo out of this place and back to consciousness. It was doing no one any good for the oldest turtle to torment himself like this, even if it was on a subconscious level. As Raphael moved toward the unmoving figure of his older brother, the scene around him shifted once more. This time Donatello was the focus of attention. As he sat holding the blinded Leo, the real Leo stood across the room, unable to move his gaze away from the terrible tableau before him. Then, as Raphael approached, Leo sank to his knees, and the gut wrenching whimpers that had disturbed Raphael before started again. Not sure exactly what to do, Raphael did the only thing he could think of. Kneeling in front of his older brother, he forced Leo's eyes away from the memory, making him look Raphael in the eyes instead.

"Leo, come on bro, you need to let this go," he said. But Leo simply pulled away from his brother's gaze, turning his attention back to the newly shifted scene behind Raphael. Turning around, Raphael could only shudder as he saw himself sitting in the middle of the floor, his exhausted and broken brother cradled in his arms. "Bro, please," he pleaded, turning back to his older brother. "Let's get out of here. You don't need to keep doing this to yourself."

Instead of responding, Leo climbed to his feet and walked over to stand over the now frozen image of his sibling huddled over his dying body. In a distant, almost haunted voice, Leo said, "I thought I was protecting you; all of you. But you showed me I was wrong. I hurt you. Not Saki; me."

"No," Raphael protested, rushing to his brother's side, though not quite touching him. "I was wrong to say that. You did the very best you could."

"Did I," Leo asked. "I hurt the Genius twins badly; Donatello by putting him a position where he couldn't help me, and Donny by sacrificing myself like his own brother did. On top of that, Michelangelo is incredibly angry and hurt. I guess that's understandable. After all, it's never pleasant to have your innocence stolen, and especially by your big brother. And Raph is understandably furious. Just like his own big brother, I let him down. And then there's you." Leo made a sound of extreme disgust. When he spoke again, his voice was full of self-loathing, "When does it stop? When will I stop hurting those I love?"

Raphael looked at his brother in horror at what he was hearing. Could this really be the same Leo that just the night before had been begging Raphael to save his life? After all, the one had clung desperately to life; this one seemed on the verge of giving up. The younger turtle had a hard time equating the two to the same individual. Then it struck him that maybe Leo himself wasn't even aware of these self-destructive feelings buried in his subconscious. After all, it would be just like Leo to conceal these darker emotions, especially from himself. Instead, they would sit deep in his mind, festering, until they had once again nearly destroyed him. Raphael wasn't about to let that happen.

"Leo, you need to let this go," Raphael said. "Please, big bro. We never meant for you to torment yourself like this."

But Leo wasn't listening. Instead, the scene had once again shifted back to Michelangelo. Raphael huffed in aggravation. Well, if Leo wasn't willing to listen on his own, then Raphael would make him listen. With no warning, he walked up to his brother's form, and punched him hard across the jaw. Leo went down hard, but came up, brown eyes blazing, body tensed for another blow; except it didn't come. Instead, Raphael just smirked at him. "That got your attention," he told his older brother smugly.

"What the shell," Leo hissed, rubbing his sore jaw. Then he looked around him, taking in what was before him. Turning eyes that were confused, but no longer blank or distant Raphael was pleased to see, back to his brother Leo asked, "Where in the world are we?"

"As far as I can tell, we're in your head," Raphael said. "So why don't you see if you can't get us out of here. I'm ready to talk, and I think you need to, too."

With a nod that could have been acceptance or understanding, Leo closed his eyes. Seconds later, the world went dark around Raphael, and the falling sensation struck once more. This time when he was finally able to open his eyes once more, Raphael found himself back on the bed, still sprawled over his brother. As Leo started to stir, Raphael untangled himself, but only so far as to sit up in the bed next to Leo. The coming conversation promised to be an emotionally draining one, and Raphael knew that physical proximity was going to be a must to get both brothers through it.

Finally Leo managed to open his eyes, only to meet the serious eyes of his younger brother. "Hey," he whispered to Raphael, smiling slightly, attempting to relieve some of the darkness from his brother's mind. In spite of himself, Raphael found he was smiling back. Even as concerned as he was, he couldn't fight the warmth in his brother's look.

"Welcome back," he told Leo softly. "You had me worried. Especially after… that."

Leo sat up, with some assistance, and moved to sit next to Raphael. Grimacing, he replied, "Yes, well, about 'that,' I'm not sure where it came from."

"Don't you," Raphael challenged, though not harshly. "Leo, you were tortured for three days straight. It was bound to leave some sort of mark. On top of that, you died twice, had to face down an immortal, otherworldly evil, _and_ do your level best to protect your family, even as you watched them suffer despite your best efforts. If that didn't screw you up in some way then you're made of stronger stuff than flesh and blood."

"But, all that dark emotion," Leo protested. "I mean, where, what…?"

"Bro, tell me this," Raphael said. "What have you been doing since you came back to life again?"

Leo shrugged. "Recovering from that poison, training, looking after the others," he replied offhandedly.

"Just what I thought," Raphael replied. "You've been so focused on everything and everyone else that you haven't taken the time to consider how all this is going to impact you."

"But," Leo protested.

"But nothing," Raphael said. "I'm not criticizing you, bro. You're simply doing what you do best. But that means you tend to disregard your own needs, hence the nightmares. I'm willing to bet you've been having them for while, it's just taken you until now to become aware of them."

Leo gave his brother a bemused look.

"What," Raphael asked, a confused look on his face.

"And here I thought I was coming to help you deal with your issues," Leo said. "This certainly wasn't how I imagined this scene being played out."

Raphael gave his brother a half-smile in response. "We'll get to me, don't worry," he said. "But first, I'm going to be the brother I should have been weeks ago. That being said, you want to tell me what the shell that dream was about? And what was all that nonsense you were spouting hurting us?"

This time it was Leo's turn to give his brother a perplexed look. "Don't you remember, you said it yourself," Leo replied. "I'm not healthy to be around. All I do is bring pain and grief to the family."

Raphael's voice was mixture of anger and sorrow as he said, "Leo, I'm sorry I ever said that. I was hurting, and I did my best to hurt you, too."

"But you were right," Leo countered. "You saw what I did in that nightmare; you, Michelangelo, and Donatello were all hurt, despite my attempts to protect you. And that doesn't even begin to cover what our younger brothers underwent. Saki didn't have to do anything to break our family; I did that all by myself."

"The shell you did," Raphael argued. "Yes, we got a little bent, but no one broke anything. And thanks to you, all the bent pieces are being put back together stronger than ever."

"Then why are you still so angry with me," Leo asked, his self-pitying attitude melting away. "Who are you mad at Raphael?"

In that instant, the younger turtle realized just what his brother had done. Oh, he hadn't lied. Not Leo. But by deliberately baring his own darker emotions of residual fear and guilt, he had made it possible for Raphael to face his own emotions in a straightforward way that had previously eluded the younger turtle.

"I…I guess I am mad at you, a little," Raphael admitted. "I mean, you died, Leo. Twice you died on me, and I couldn't stand it. But first, you sacrificed yourself, and left me unable to act. As I listened and watched, or imagined as the case may be, what you were going through, I was helpless to do anything, and it was all your fault. You knew what Saki had in store for you was likely to be deadly, but you tied my hands by freely exchanging yourself for us. At that point, anything I did would have made your sacrifice pretty much pointless."

"Go on," Leo encouraged, sidling even closer to his brother until they were shoulder to shoulder. "Get the rest of it out."

"I was also terrified," Raphael confessed. "First I was afraid of losing you. I don't know if you realize this, but you have become my anchor, and the thought of you being gone scared me stupid. I didn't realize until I saw how calmly you were accepting death just how much I depend on you. On top of that, I was afraid for our family. What were we going to do without you there to hold us together? I knew I would try my best, but I'm not you Leo. I can't hold this family together the way you can."

"You'd have found a way," Leo said confidently. "I could only do what I did, knowing that you would be there to take up where I left off. I knew that between you and Raph, and with Master Splinter's help, the family would be just fine."

Raphael just shook his head. "I'm glad you believe that, because I certainly don't," he said. "But in any case, you know how I am with fear. It just made me madder. But then, on top of everything else, I couldn't help but feel guilty. I mean, at first I felt guilty that you were enduring all that crap for us. I couldn't help thinking that, maybe, if we hadn't always insisted on treating you like our personal protector, then you wouldn't be going through all that pain and humiliation. Then I felt guilty for demeaning your sacrifice like that, which in turn made me even guiltier for being mad at you, which likewise made me even angrier, and, well, it became one vicious cycle. By the time we got you home, and actually alive, I was a tangled mess of emotions. It all became too much to handle, so I tried to run from it."

"Is that why you tried to sever our bond? Because the emotions were too much," Leo asked.

"Kinda," Raphael admitted. "On top of my own emotional mess, I kept getting hints of what the Geeks and the Brats were feeling, and then my twin's anger started leaking through as my barriers began to fail, and it all became too much. Added to that, I couldn't escape the feelings of love and concern from you, both of which I didn't feel I deserved. So I tried to run."

Leo laughed gently and wrapped an arm around his brother's. "Doesn't work so well, does it," he asked. "I learned that a while back."

Raphael laid his head on his brother's shoulder. "Nope," he acknowledged. "But you know me; I have to experience it for myself, first."

As Raphael sat leaning on his brother, he could only soak up the love and acceptance emanating from Leo in healing waves. The brother just sat in silence, enjoying the peace that once more existed between them. Raphael finally broke the silence, unable to hold back one last concern.

"Leo, about last night," he started.

"Don't," Leo tried to shush him, but Raphael wasn't going to be put off.

"No, hear me out," he said. "I'm sorry for what I did. I'm so sorry for all of it."

Leo hugged his brother closer. "You're forgiven, even though it wasn't your fault. I purposefully picked that fight with you."

"I still shouldn't have…shouldn't have…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

"Raphael," Leo whispered. "Let it go. Besides, if you start with the apologies for that, then you're going to have to sit through my list of apologies for everything I've put you through in the last month. Do you really want to start that?"

It was Raphael's turn to laugh this time. "All right," he conceded. "Let's just say everything between us is forgiven, and leave it at that."

Silence settled once more between them, and at last Raphael was able to allow the healing tears to come. As his grief, fear, anger, and all his other tangled emotions began to melt away, Raphael was able to sit and rejoice in his sense of balance, once more restored. Oh, he knew there was still one more battle to be fought; after all, his younger brothers weren't nearly as forgiving as Leo, especially when it came to defending their older brother. But for now, with just him and his best friend, the world couldn't possibly, not even probably, better be.


	20. Meeting of the Minds

**A/N Yeah, it's the last chapter. I have had such a hard time getting this story finished. In any case, this closes out the openng trilogy of my Blended Family world. Hope you enjoy it. **

* * *

The brothers weren't aware they had fallen back to sleep until the buzzing of Leo's shell-cell woke them up again. After fumbling for the phone, Leo groaned when he saw the number on the caller I.D.

"Who is it, bro," Raphael asked as Leo rolled over on his back and threw his arm over his eyes in consternation.

"Raph," Leo groaned. "They must have figured out I'm not where I'm supposed to be."

"And that would be?"

"In bed," Leo said, still not taking his arm down. "Where I've spent the past two days. My shell is going soft from all the time I've spent in bed over the past month."

"Hey, give 'em a break, bro," Raphael said. "Our sibs have had a hard time, too; they're just trying to take care of you. And having seen what I put you through, courtesy of Leo Junior, I don't blame them for being overcautious. We nearly lost you, bro, for good. I think we're all going to be a little protective for a while. Have a little patience with us, okay?"

Leo sighed and took his arm from over his eyes. Rolling over to look at his brother he said, "I know you're right. I'll just be glad when things get back to normal."

"In our family," Raphael asked with a smirk. "That's asking a bit much, don't you think? Especially with the Brats around."

Leo couldn't hold back his laughter. Raphael smiled in response; it had been a long time since Leo had laughed that genuinely lightheartedly.

"Still, I can see you point," Raphael continued a moment later. "So I have a suggestion. Why don't you go for your morning run, and I'll go head off the angry mob. Hopefully by the time you get back they'll have whetted their appetite for violence on my hide, and they'll be content to leave you alone."

"Raphael, you don't have to do that," Leo protested. "We'll just go back together and—"

"Leo, just get out of here," Raphael said lightly, giving his brother a gentle shove off the bed. "For once I'm giving you permission to think about yourself first. Besides, I've got a tough hide. It's going to take more than our pipsqueak brothers to get to me."

"Keep that up, and I'll tell Raph you were calling him a pipsqueak," Leo threatened.

"Blackmail from Leader Mine," Raphael said in mock shock. "What is the world coming to? I think you've been spending way too much time with the Brats."

"Probably," Leo admitted unashamedly. "And what's with the 'Leader Mine'? I thought that was Raph's thing."

"Yeah, well, we were talking the other day, and he happened to mention how much you hated it when we called you 'Fearless Leader.' He explained about calling you 'Leader Mine,' and after I thought about it, I agreed with him," Raphael explained.

"But you haven't called me 'Fearless Leader' in ages," Leo said.

"Not to your face," Raphael corrected. "I said it in front of my twin the other day, and I thought he was going to jump down my throat."

"Yes, well, Raph's nothing if not loyal," Leo said.

"He is that," Raphael agreed simply. "He's a good guy. They all are; the three newbies who followed you home, I mean. I can't imagine this family without them anymore."

The admission shocked Leo a little. Was this really _his_ Raphael admitting he actually cared for his new younger brothers so openly? The astonishment must have shown on Leo's face, because Raphael gently punched him in the arm.

"Yeah, yeah, just don't go sharing that with anyone," he growled. "I have an image to maintain. Now, go on, get out of here."

Giving in to the inevitable, Leo walked over to where his things were hanging up to dry. Raphael watched as his brother pulled his cold weather gear back on and headed for the door. He was just about to open the door when Raphael called out one more time. "Hey, Leo? Love you bro."

Leo gave him that gentle smile that was so quintessentially "Leo."

"I love you too," he said. And then he was out the door and gone.

TMNTTMNT

Things were in a bit of an uproar when Raphael got back to the Lair. From what he could hear, there seemed to be an argument going on about the best course of action to take in getting Leo back to the Lair. Shaking his head in bemusement, Raphael lifted a hand to his lips, and gave a shrill whistle. The room went dead silent as all the younger turtles turned to stare at him in surprise.

"Chill, dudes," he told them. "No need to go chasing after Leo. He'll be back soon."

"And just what business is it of yours," Mikey asked coolly. If Raphael hadn't been expecting it, his brother's tone of voice would definitely have hurt. As it was, it still stung a bit to hear that kind of coldness in his brother's usually warm voice. But of course, he didn't let any of that show in his own response.

"Maybe because I'm the turtle who last saw Leo, and therefore has the most up-to-date information on his whereabouts," Raphael contended.

This time it was Michelangelo who responded. "Really," he asked snidely. "You actually leave him in on piece this time, or will we be cleaning up your mess _again_?"

Stung, both by the vehemence in his brother's voice, and the nearly too true guess, Raphael was a little slow on his comeback. "Leo's fine. He's just out for a run, so he'll be back soon," he said.

But Donatello had caught the slight hesitation in his brother's voice. "What did you do this time, Raphael," he demanded to know. "Wasn't it bad enough that you severed your empathic bond, rebounding Leo's wounds back on him? Or wasn't that enough for you?"

The red-masked turtle suddenly found himself the center of all five of his brothers' attention. Guilt trickling back in, Raphael swallowed hard, finding it hard to look at his brothers'.

"You hurt him again, didn't you," Donny spat. Raphael couldn't meet his eyes. Donny just gave a disgusted hiss. "Bastard."

"That will be enough!"

Everyone turned to see Leo, hale and whole, standing in the doorway to the Lair, a look of disgusted anger on his face. As one, all six younger turtles gulped. This wasn't just Leo, big brother, standing there, but there was a good bit of Leo the "Leader" mixed in as well. And whenever those two came together, well, it usually meant someone had screwed up big time.

"Everyone to the dojo. Now," Leo ordered. Without a word, the brothers filed into the dojo and took their positions on the floor. Leo came to stand in front of them, his arms crossed angrily over his plastron. "Alright," he said once all eyes were on him. "I am going to say this once. What took place between Raphael and me is strictly our business. While I appreciate how protective all of you are, I do not appreciate you treating our brother like he's the enemy."

"Even if I deserve it," Raphael asked softly.

"Just what does that mean," Raph asked, speaking for the first time since Raphael had returned home.

"Raphael—"Leo started to say, but his younger brother cut him off.

"They have the right to know," he told Leo. "What I did, and what I almost did, would have affected them, too." He turned back to his younger brothers and described exactly what had taken place the night before, presenting the cold facts straightforwardly to his brothers.

When he was done, Raph gave him a cold glare. "Donny was right," he jeered. "You are a bastard. No, worse, you're a traitorous bastard."

The rebuttal, when it came, surprisingly, wasn't from Raphael. "You're one to speak," Michelangelo said scathingly. "The only difference was he actually finished his attack, and you didn't."

And with that, the room exploded into a cacophony of arguments back and forth between the brothers. Accusations and denials were tossed back and forth with ever growing volume. From the sidelines, Leo just stood watching patiently. He wasn't surprised when his father joined him a few minutes later. Rather than ask what was going on, Splinter simply said, "I assume you have a plan for dealing with this, my son."

"I'm going to give them about thirty more second to get this all out of their systems," Leo replied. "Then I'm putting an end to it."

Trusting his eldest to, indeed, have everything in hand, Splinter merely turned back to where his younger sons were arguing. He could almost hear Leo's silent count down. It was apparent when the clock hit zero, for all of a sudden the room went still as all six younger turtles seemed to freeze in place. Leo looked on in satisfaction at the myriad of expressions crossing his brothers' faces as they experienced all of their siblings' emotions from the past month. Leo, recognizing that the rational approach to settling things with his brothers was no longer working, had decided to take a more direct, emotional path. As his brothers had been arguing, he had been connecting with each of their emotions. At the end of his time limit, he had simply opened all those pathways at once, making his brothers feel what the others were feeling. Even their father's emotions were included, making all of them realize just what he, and each other, had gone through during this whole trial.

When Leo allowed the connection to wane a few moments later, the room remained completely silent for a long time. After a few moments for personal reflection, Leo knelt down before his brothers and began to speak softly. "This has been a hard month for all of us," he said. "Each of us has had to face emotions and events we would rather not have faced. But what we must all recognize is that we got through because we're family. We have all made mistakes, and I'm not excusing myself in this. But I want you all to think about this: are we going to let Saki and Darktide destroy once and for all the family we've put together, or are we going to prove once and for all that we're stronger than that? If we keep fighting with each other, if we keep these petty grudges that, in the end, don't mean a thing, then they've won, and everything we suffered was for nothing."

And with that Leo climbed to his feet and departed the room, leaving his silent family in deep contemplation behind him.

TMNTTMNT

Over the next several days, Leo began to see small signs of change among his brothers. Once more the relationship between the Brats and the Geniuses became an easy one. A few days later, Raph was seen joking quietly with Mikey, and then with Michelangelo a few days after that. By the end of the next week, everyone was pretty much back to normal, except Raph and Raphael. This time, however, Leo stayed out of it. It was now up to his younger brothers to work through their own differences.

This time it was Raphael who made the initial move. With some assistance from his brothers, he arranged it so that he and Raph would have the dojo to themselves one morning before practice.

"Hey, where is everyone," Raph asked as he walked into the deserted room.

"They'll be along later," Raphael said, stepping out of the shadows. "Right now, we need to talk."

A number of snippy remarks came to mind, but Raph held them all back. Instead, he said, "You're right; we do."

The two turtles stood facing each other across the expanse of the dojo, their arms folded in an identical pose across their plastrons. At length, Raphael said, "I understand why you hate me. In your place, I would probably hate me, too."

Raph dropped his arms to his side and looked at his twin in surprise. "But…wait, what makes you think I hate you?"

Raphael just gave him an "oh, please, who do you think you're kidding" kind of look. "Raph, you've made it pretty clear you hate me for what I did to Leo. There are still times, if I let myself thing about it too hard, that I hate myself as well."

Raph ran a hand over his face. Then, meeting his twin's gaze he said, "I never hated you. Yes, I was shocked at first. And it made me mad at first that you could so callously hurt him like you did when you decided to move out and cut your bond with him. But that's not why I've been avoiding you for the past week."

Now Raphael really was confused. "Then what was it?"

"I thought you were angry at me for being such a hypocrite," Raph admitted. "I mean, we both attacked Leo for no reason, but I had the audacity to take you to task for it."

Raphael just shook his head. "What a pair we are," he said, mildly disgusted. "You thinking I'm mad at you, me thinking you're mad at me, and neither one of us with the sense to say a thing about it."

"So, you're not mad," Raph asked.

"Nope, but I did want to say I'm sorry," Raphael said. "I've already apologized to Leo and the others, but I want to apologize to you, too. I never should have left like I did."

"I'm sorry, too," Raph said. "You know, for all those nasty things I said the other day."

"Forgiven," Raphael said instantly. "After all, we're the closest things Leo's got to siblings with any sense in this family. We need to stick together. And besides, who else, other than the two of us, are going to be able to make sure he doesn't do something stupid like getting himself killed again?"

"I'm with you there, partner," Raph replied.

The two brothers looked at each other a moment, and then they did something they had never before done. They hugged. It was only a short hug, and if you blinked you might have missed it, but it was a hug nonetheless. But more than that, it was a pact. As Leo's best friends, and self-proclaimed (at least between the two of them) bodyguards, they had made the silent vow that, together, they would do their very best to protect their brother from everything, especially himself.

TTTT

No word of the reconciliation was said, but it was clear immediately that something had changed for the better. The poisonous silence between the pair was gone. In its place, the oldest pair of twins had a silent, understated partnership, centered on and around protecting and looking after their best friend and big brother.

Best of all, though, was the sense of normalcy that had finally returned to the Lair. Everyone knew that things were back to normal the morning the family gathered for morning practice, only to find a collage of very familiar pictures adorning the wall. Pictures of certain sleeping turtles with their faces made up, and one blue rat, blown up, and coating the walls of the dojo. At once, everyone knew who the culprit was, for the Brats were just as stunned as the rest of them to see the photos so displayed.

"Leo, I'm going to kill you," Raphael bellowed. His brother's warm laughter had him charging out the door, while the others just joined in the laughter. Yep, they might never be ordinary, and their family might be stranger than others, but it sure was nice to finally have things back to normal.

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**A/N All right, I already know what the next story in this series is going to be. Just to give you a clue, I'm doing a re-do of Same As It Never Was, except it's going to be set in my Blended Family universe. In other words, my boys are going to show their distant siblings how it's done. So hang around; hopefully I'll have the first chapter up in the next few days or so. In the meantime, thank everyone for their reviews, and for taking time to read my little story. Hope you've enjoyed it.**


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